Jared Dudley is finishing a 14-year NBA career to join Jason Kidd’s coaching staff in Dallas. After spending the last two seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, the veteran forward is retiring from the game and entering a new chapter in his life.
Even if he wasn’t the star on the roster, Dudley’s presence in the locker room was significant, and he brought more to the Lakers than people like to admit. Jared wanted to run it back with the team after all the moves they made in the offseason, landing many talented veterans to play alongside LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook.
Obviously, Dudley wanted to be part of that. Talking with Bill Plaschke of The Los Angeles Times, the 36-year-old revealed he, James, and Davis tried to run it back. Unfortunately, the team had different ideas.
“I thought I was coming back to the Lakers,” said Dudley, 36, in a phone interview. “This is crazy.”
“Obviously LeBron and A.D. wanted me back,” said Dudley. “But we just couldn’t convince them.”
The 2020 NBA champion said he talked with Lakers’ executives, and they were very clear with him. In the end, he had nothing but good words for them after two years with the franchise.
“No one owed me anything, Rob and Kurt were honest and upfront, nothing but respect and gratitude to them and Jeanie [Buss], I will be forever thankful for the opportunity they gave me,” Dudley said. “But I did want to come back. I did think I could help the team, especially having so many new players, but I understand they wanted to get younger.”
“I talked to Rob and Kurt, I thanked them, but I told them, you’re valuing youth more than a locker room presence guy,” Dudley said. “I said, ‘I respect you for doing that, but I think you’re wrong,’”
Talking about his role with the team, Dudley said he was more than a locker room presence. His impact on the team went beyond that, as he was very helpful even off the court.
“When people say I’m a locker room presence, my job was way more than a locker room presence. You’re a guidance counselor, a relationship expert. … I’m the middleman that brings it all together.”
Sometimes life doesn’t go as we plan, but Dudley is okay with this decision. He’ll now join Jason Kidd in Dallas trying to take the Mavericks to the next level and compete in a difficult Western Conference.
