Former Lakers Wing Departs NBA for NBL

A former 2023-24 Los Angeles small forward has ditched the world's top basketball league. For now.

Jan 11, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Dylan Windler (20) controls the ball against the Phoenix Suns during the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Former (brief) 2023-24 Los Angeles Lakers small forward Dylan Windler has latched on with his next pro hoops destination — and it's not an NBA squad.

According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the 6-foot-6 wing has signed a one-year agreement with the Perth Wildcats of Australia's National Basketball League.

Windler was first selected with the No. 26 overall pick out of Belmont in the 2019 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers, and was an old rookie at 24 after being essentially an injury redshirt in 2019 due to a leg ailment.

As a free agent in 2023, Windler struggled to find a 15-man standard roster to call home. Subsequently, he inked a two-way deal with the New York Knicks — only to impress the Knicks' front office brass enough that he saw his contract converted to a standard deal heading into the 2023-24 season. It wouldn't last, however, as Windler was cut in December, only to be picked up by New York's NBA G League affiliate, the Westchester Knicks.

He inked a two-way contract with the Lakers in January 2024, and was cut in March. The Atlanta Hawks — his most recent NBA squad to date — were his third and final team in 2023-24. They, too, added him via a two-way deal.

Across 101 NBA regular season games (he never appeared in a single playoff bout), Windler logged averages of 3.2 points while slashing .425/.347/.800, 2.1 boards, 0.8 dimes and 0.4 swipes a night.

Last year, the 27-year-old appeared in just eight games for the Lakers, averaging 1.5 points on 44.4 percent shooting from the floor and 50 percent shooting from deep (on 1.0 triple tries a night) across just 3.5 minutes per. In his three games with Los Angeles' NBAGL squad, the South Bay Lakers (all off the bench), Windler averaged 11.0 points on a .393/.294/.750 slash line, 6.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.7 blocks a contest.

Since its inception in 1982, Perth has become the winningest franchise in the NBL. The squad has earned a league-most 10 titles, four more than the closest club, the Melbourne United, and its six championships. The Wildcats won their most recent title in 2020. Perth was most recently in the NBL Finals during the 2022-23 season.

Windler will give the Wildcats some jump-shooting optionality this year, as they look to build out their offense.

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