Getty Dennis Schroder (left) was traded by the Celtics.
In the final hours ahead of the NBA’s trade deadline, one of the surprises that emerged was the Lakers’ interest in bringing back a point guard who had caused some headaches around the team during his one-year stint last season—Dennis Schroder, who was a free agent this offseason and signed a bargain deal with the Celtics.
Boston had Schroder on the market at the deadline as it sought to get under the NBA’s luxury-tax threshold, which it eventually did by sending Schroder, Bruno Fernando and Enes Freedom to Houston for big man Daniel Theis. The move saved Boston about $1 million.
The Lakers, too, made an offer, according to Heavy.com NBA insider Steve Bulpett, who wrote, “the Lakers were offering a couple of second-round picks and some minimum contracts.”
The Lakers had been offering bench options DeAndre Jordan, Dwight Howard and Kent Bazemore around the league, with second-round picks attached as incentive for teams to take those players off their hands. The Lakers do not have a first-rounder available to trade until 2027, and while the team discussed deals that included that pick, the team held onto it.
Lakers Could Pursue Schroder as a Buyout Addition
The trade of Schroder to Houston, though, set up an interesting debate for the Lakers—should the team pursue him in the buyout market, as has been rumored? The Rockets have little incentive to keep Schroder around, and have already done a buyout for D.J. Augustin, and waived Freedom. A buyout is forthcoming, making Schroder a free agent. The Lakers have others ahead of him on their list of potential targets, most notably Goran Dragic, but Schroder might be a more realistic target.
Dragic is expected to have a wide market that includes Golden State, the Lakers, the Clippers, the Bucks, the Bulls and the Heat. Schroder might be a sort of consolation prize for a team that misses out on Dragic.
Schroder averaged 14.4 points and 4.2 assists for Boston in 49 games this year, playing 29.2 minutes per game. He averaged 15.4 points and 5.8 assists with the Lakers last year.
Schroder Had Rocky Year in L.A.
Schroder, of course, famously passed up on a contract extension with the Lakers last year, though how much the extension was worth is up for debate. It’s been reported that the Lakers gave him a four-year, $84 million offer, but Schroder said earlier this year that was just not true.
And after a rough end to last season, the Lakers opted not to bring back Schroder.
“The Lakers told us we are not talking during the season, and at the end of the day, I never had that contract in front of me,” Schroder said in September. “That’s one thing, but they wanted to talk, and at the end of the day, me and my agent decided not to sign that contract. At the end of the day, I feel like, for me personally, I gotta be comfortable in the environment I’m in. I love the Lakers organization, and they did great things. But I think, for me, and this is just business, I don’t think I fit in 100%.”
That might ultimately be the key for the chances of a Schroder-Lakers reunion. Schroder is a free agent now and can choose his own destination. If he did not think he fit in with the Lakers last year, why would he think he fits in better now that Russell Westbrook is manning his position?