Jared Dudley Shocked Lakers Didn’t Resign Him

Jared Dudley was shocked that the Los Angeles Lakers didn’t want to bring him back.

Speaking to Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times, Dudley admitted that he had expected to return to the Lakers, saying it was “crazy” that he was not brought back. The 36-year-old added that he had no hard feelings toward the organization, but had tried to convince the team to bring him back to the point that he was willing to play on a non-guaranteed contract.

“Obviously LeBron and A.D. wanted me back,” Dudley said. “But we just couldn’t convince them.”

The impact of Dudley’s locker-room leadership has been made apparent in comments ranging from superstars like LeBron James to young players who appreciated his guidance, such as Kyle Kuzma, who recently called Dudley the best teammate he ever had. 

James wasn’t happy when he found out Dudley wouldn’t be returning. Now Dudley will be taking his talents over to Dallas and become an assistant coach on Jason Kidd’s staff on the Mavericks.