Getty Dennis Schroder will be one of the marquee free agents this offseason.
The Los Angeles Lakers will face competition for several of their key free agents including Dennis Schroder. There is still plenty of time for things to change when free agency begins on August 2nd, but the Knicks have been the team most consistently linked to Schroder. During a recent podcast with Zach Lowe, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski noted that Schroder is one of the players the Knicks could target in free agency.
“Yeah, I think they’re [Knicks] on the disgruntled star alert,” Wojnarowski described the Knicks’ offseason outlook. “…It depends what level of a star becomes available, and who do you want to cash your chips in [on] if they do. But I think they have the potential to be in the conversation as an option for a player who might want out somewhere, and I can’t sit here and tell you now, Zach who that’s going to be, if that’s going [to happen]. Sometimes that player emerges off of a bad first-round exit, or a coach is let go that that player connected with, [and] doesn’t like the new guy. Whatever it is, there are a lot of things that trigger it.
I don’t know that there is an obvious one right now, but history tells us someone will emerge because it almost always does. The Knicks are very much on patrol for that, I don’t know that it’s going to be unrestricted free agency this summer. I don’t know if it’s that. We mentioned like a Dennis Schroder, Lonzo [Ball] in restricted free agency. But certainly, I think they’ll be out there trying to take some big swings in the trade market.”
The Knicks Are Projected to Have the Most Cap Space in Free Agency of Any NBA Team
The Knicks are projected to have the most cap space of any team this summer with $72.8 million, per Spotrac. This means the Knicks could make a big trade as Wojnarowski suggested and still offer Schroder a lucrative deal. All indications are the Lakers tried to sign Schroder to a long-term contract throughout the season, but the point guard opted to test the free-agent waters.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported Schroder turned down a four-year, $84 million extension, the maximum the Lakers could offer at the time. The Knicks have been consistently linked to Schroder in rumors as a top free-agent target. Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer reported the Knicks could potentially offer Schroder a contract that tops $90 million.
“New York could present that opportunity for Schroder, and the Knicks are indeed considering a run at him in free agency, sources said,” Fischer detailed. “They appear likely to re-sign Derrick Rose as head coach Tom Thibodeau’s reliable reserve floor general, but perhaps Schroder can be the answer for their’ hole in their opening lineup on a deal worth north of $90 million.”
Schroder May Not be Happy with His Role on the Lakers
Given Schroder will be a free agent, he would not be in the disgruntled star trade category Wojnarowski referenced. Yet, the Lakers point guard may want more of a staring role which could push him out of Los Angeles, Fischer reported.
“Multiple league executives who have overlapped with Schroder told B/R they believe the ball-handler is looking to be paid like a top-tier point guard, and his role in Los Angeles may not satisfy his interest in being the leading playmaker for a marquee franchise,” Fischer detailed. “‘He sees himself as a big-market player, and obviously he wants to start,’ said the veteran personnel man.”