Getty Chicago Bulls wing Troy Brown Jr.
The trade deadline is mere days away and Dennis Schroder remains a member of the Boston Celtics. Yet, if all goes according to plan, that may not be the case once February 10 strikes.
Continuing to hover around a .500 record, Boston’s pre-season title aspirations look to be a farce as Brad Stevens’ vow to “win banner 18” could be placed on the back burner for some financial flexibility. With the C’s reportedly eager to dip below the luxury tax threshold, the team has been frantically looking for ways to unload the likes of Schroder and fellow offseason acquisition Josh Richardson in a trade — and as it turns out, they may just have buyers.
On February 2 Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer reported that a “framework of Schroder to [the] Chicago [Bulls] for Troy Brown Jr. and a second-round pick has circulated around the league, while the [Utah] Jazz have been consistently mentioned as a possible destination for Richardson.”
Financial Fallout from Potential Bulls Trade
As things currently stand, the Celtics are $2.7 million over the tax line. However, as the folks at Real GM highlight, that includes bonus money that star Jaylen Brown “may not earn this season.” Swapping out Schroder for Brown Jr. would save Boston approximately $700,000, putting them one move closer to evading the tax.
Brown, 22, was the No. 15 overall selection of the Washington Wizards back in 2018. Fittingly enough, after nearly three seasons in D.C., Brown was dealt to Chicago in a three-team trade last March in a package that saw the Celtics ship Daniel Theis and Javonte Green to the Bulls.
In 39 games (three starts) for Chicago this season, the former Oregon standout is averaging 4.7 points and 3.2 rebounds per contest. His most prolific campaign in the pros came as a sophomore when he averaged a career-best 10.4 points in 25.8 minutes per game.
Bulls in Search of Guard Help
Chicago’s interest in Schroder is eerily similar to Cleveland’s rumored interest in the 28-year-old sparkplug. Long-term injuries in the teams’ backcourts have both franchises scraping the trade market for quick fixes.
The Cavaliers are in the market for a combo-guard after losing Ricky Rubio and Collin Sexton to season-ending knee injuries earlier this year. As for the Bulls, both Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso have recently been stripped from their lineup. On January 20, the team announced that Ball opted to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. Per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the injury is expected to sideline the former No. 2 pick for six to eight weeks. Caruso, who suffered a broken wrist after a flagrant foul from Bucks guard Grayson Allen, carries the same injury timeline as Ball.
Schroder, who is in the midst of a one-year, $5.9 million prove-it deal with the Celtics, has been a bit Jekyll and Hyde on the season. This is not unfamiliar territory for the former Lakers starter who quickly fizzled out in Los Angeles playing alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Schroder still ranks third on the Celtics roster in scoring, averaging 14.6 points, but has seen his output take a major dip in Marcus Smart’s mini-resurgence of late. Schroder has averaged fewer than 5.0 points over his last six games.
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