Getty Los Angeles Lakers guard Dennis Schroder.
Arguably the biggest decision the Los Angeles Lakers face this offseason is what to do with Dennis Schroder. Despite declining the team’s extension offer during the season, the free-agent point guard continues to put the pressure back on the Lakers, emphasizing he has “unfinished business” as Schroder eyes a return to Los Angeles.
Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka met with the media as part of the team’s exit interviews that took place to close the season with the majority of players along with head coach Frank Vogel. Pelinka praised Schroder’s competitiveness and described the team’s starting point guard as an “attractive player” for the Lakers.
“One of the genes in a player that we value so much in terms of a makeup, or DNA or a mentality, is just the competitive nature, and I think all of us can look at Dennis’ body of work, and he is an extreme competitor, and that’s on both sides of the ball,” Pelinka explained in his press conference. “He’s hounding guys, picking up players full court, diving for loose balls. Bringing that energy on the defensive end and then, of course, has the ability to score at the point guard position. We value just those qualities in him.”
Pelinka on Schroder’s Future: ‘August Is August & Free Agency Is a Couple Months Away’
Despite praising Schroder, Pelinka left the door open for things to change in free agency. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported Schroder declined the Lakers’ maximum possible offer of four years, $84 million during the season. The Lakers will have competition for Schroder this summer with teams like the Knicks and Bulls frequently linked to the point guard.
“August is August and free agency is a couple months away and there’s a lot of different things we’ll have to evaluate there, but Dennis is an attractive player to us just because of what he brings to the table,” Pelinka continued. “And I agree that there are multiple parts and pieces of this team, that there is unfinished business. I think when you fall short of the goal that you set, it has to drive you. It has to be the fuel that drives your passion, and I think us falling short as a team, that in some sense is going to be part of our motivation in putting in the work to getting back at it and starting training camp next year with a strong roster.”
Schroder Could Command $24 Million Annually in Free Agency
The question is how much the Lakers will be willing to pay to retain Schroder. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski estimated Schroder’s average annual salary could fall in the $22 to $24 million range. It is not as simple as the Lakers just letting Schroder walk, because the team does not have the cap space to sign a player of his caliber outright.
The Lakers only other option is to work out a sign-and-trade for Schroder, but the point guard would have to agree to the deal, which is unlikely. Secondly, Los Angeles could target another free-agent guard but would also need to work out a sign-and-trade of their own to be able to pay the player anything more than their exception. Schroder was the subject of trade rumors prior to the deadline, but the guard noted he maintains a great relationship with Pelinka.
“Let me make that clear first. I didn’t decline the extension because I was in trade talks,” Schroder said, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “I own a [basketball] team in Germany as well. I try to run my organization in Germany as fair as possible, but end of the day, it’s still business. … That’s what Rob did as well. He told me the story. He listened to it. It wasn’t even right by the trade deadline, but he talked to them to see. … I would listen to offers as well. … You don’t know what you can get, and you see what your options are.”