Getty Dennis Schroder of the Boston Celtics
In Jaylen Brown’s absence, the Boston Celtics have turned to new recruit Dennis Schroder as their secondary offensive weapon and have stumbled upon positive results in the process.
Schroder, who joined the Celtics on a one-year deal during the off-season, has been a revelation for Boston, whether coming off the bench or operating in the second unit as the number two behind Jayson Tatum.
I would say this is Boston best win of the season but the Lakers been getting smoked by everybody! I will say say this was Tatum best game this season. Btw Dennis Schroder sleeping well tonight! Carry the hell on…
Unfortunately for the Celtics, the common consensus is that Schroder’s stay in Boston is designated to be a short one. Schroder reportedly turned down an $84 million contract extension offer from the Los Angeles Lakers before striking out in free agency and eventually joining the Celtics.
In line with the current collective bargaining agreement, the Celtics are limited in the salary they can offer Schroder next year as they don’t hold his bird rights, meaning they’re limited in what they can offer.
Celtics Insider Reports’ Mutual Interest’
Speaking on The Adam Jones Show for 98.5 The Sports Hub, Celtics insider Brian Robb revealed that both the Celtics and Schroder had shown mutual interest in extending the speedster’s stay in Boston.
“I did talk to Schroder recently about a potential long-term future with the Celtics, and I think there might be some interest on both sides there. It will be interesting to see how the Celtics handle that because they’re limited in how much they can offer and stuff like that because they would need to free up some money. I think this is a pretty big audition for him this year, not just around the league, but also here in Boston,” Robb said when discussing Schroder’s long-term future.
The Celtics have only played 17 games so far this season, and while Schroder has been impressive to begin the year, any decision based on his future with the franchise will likely be delayed until at least after the trade deadline. Anything could happen between now of then, including a loss of form, a fractious locker room, or another team showing serious trade interest.
Robb also preached patience during his radio interview, “The question is, throughout this year does Schroder fit in with Tatum and with Brown over the course of a full season, and even a playoff situation, I think that will tell the tale there.”
Schroder Has Been Excellent to Start the Season
In his 17 games for the Celtics, Schroder has been one of the team’s most impactful players, allowing Boston to play with pace or breakdown teams in the half-court. Schroder, who has found himself filling in as a starter in 11 of the Celtics game so far, shows the level of trust Ime Udoka has in the offensively-minded point-guard.
Averaging 33.2 minutes per game, Schroder is tallying 17.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 5.2 assists on 46.1% shooting from the field and 33.3% from deep, per Basketball-Reference. Earning just $5.8 million this season, Schroder’s production far outweighs his contract value, making him one of the best low-cost options in the NBA.
With the season still being in its infancy, and plenty of basketball left to be played, there will undoubtedly be many more chapters written about Schroder’s long-term fit with this Celtics team.
And should Brad Stevens feel that the 9th year guard is a vital cog in the teams’ chances of success, there’s every chance that he makes the necessary moves to accommodate Schroder’s contract requests, should they be reasonable.