Among the NBA draft prospects the Los Angeles Clippers are inviting to their facility this week is former Colorado point guard Spencer Dinwiddie. The former Taft (Woodland Hills, California) star won’t be able to work out or do much beyond an interview or a physical -- he’s just five months removed from surgery to repair his ACL -- but the 6-foot-6 guard could be an intriguing late-first round pick for the Clippers, given that backup point guard Darren Collison is expected to decline his $1.9 million player option for next season to become a free agent.
The Clippers have an interest in trading up from their No. 28 pick in the first round of the draft, according to sources, but it’s not clear whether they have the assets to do so. If they stay at No. 28, there are several directions they could go, so the team has thus far cast a wide net in player evaluations.
Dinwiddie isn’t concerning himself with any of that. He just wants to find the right fit.
"I’m just praying for a good fit, whether that’s [pick No.] 15 or 35 or 45," Dinwiddie said. "A team that believes in me and that knows [that] when I’m ready, I’ll be able to play."
Although he suffered the ACL injury in January, Dinwiddie said he is confident in his decision to declare for the NBA draft because doctors have told him his specific injury would heal completely and quickly. The initial 10-month projection has been lowered to seven or eight months, he said, which means he’d be back on the court well before training camp.
Dinwiddie led Taft -- the same high school Los Angeles Lakers point guard Jordan Farmar attended -- to the 2011 L.A. City Section championship and said he grew up a die-hard Lakers fan.
"But [the Clippers] are probably the closest thing to a dream spot for me," he said. "Being able to learn behind a Hall of Famer in Chris Paul, being able to be at home and having a great coach like Doc Rivers."
Dinwiddie said he has visited with the Milwaukee Bucks, Washington Wizards, Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics. He has interviews and physicals scheduled with the Clippers, Miami Heat, Atlanta Hawks, Oklahoma City Thunder and Utah Jazz before the draft.