Getty Dennis Schroder could be traded by the Celtics at the deadline.
It has been a whirlwind year for former Los Angeles Lakers point guard Dennis Schroder. The Lakers guard turned down a long-term contract extension last season and became the odd man out in Los Angeles after the Russell Westbrook trade.
Schroder ultimately signed a one-year, $5.8 million contract with the Celtics, much less than the guard was expecting. The former Lakers starter could be on the move once again. The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that the Celtics are considering trading Schroder by the deadline.
“Rival teams expect the Celtics to be open to talks around guard Dennis Schröder, who inked a one-year deal with Boston in the offseason but has had a strong season that likely prices him out of a potential re-signing,” Charania detailed on December 13. “Schröder is averaging 17.5 points, 4.9 assists and 3.6 rebounds per game this season.”
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Why Are the Celtics Open to Trading Schroder?
The Schroder signing arguably landed the Celtics the best bargain of any free agent last offseason. Schroder is averaging 17.5 points, 4.9 assists and 3.6 rebounds while shooting 34.2% from long range. Why would the Celtics want to trade Schroder who is clearly performing at a high level, especially given his contract?
SB Nation’s Keith Smith pointed to two key reasons for the Celtics shopping Schroder. He is a ball-dominant guard which can be problematic when you have Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown as the centerpieces of your team.
Secondly, Schroder is likely going to command a much more lucrative deal next free agency period, barring a collapse to close the season. This means Schroder is likely going to be out of the Celtics’ price range, and the team could be looking to get something in return that can help them long-term.
“The second reason Boston might trade Schroder is the reality of his contract and the relative inability to retain him beyond this season,” Smith explained on December 13. “Schroder’s $5.9 million deal is extremely tradable. Every team in the NBA can match salary on a deal that small without any issue. That takes one potential, and often overlooked, issue off the list.
“The next factor contract-wise to consider that Schroder is likely in Boston for one year and one year only. The Celtics will only have Non-Bird rights on Schroder as a free agent. That means Boston is limited to offering him a contract starting at just over $7 million for 2022-23. Despite the wonky market from 2021, Schroder should command more than that as a free agent in 2022.”
Could the Lakers Trade for Schroder?
All this brings us to the question of whether the Lakers could trade for Schroder giving both parties a do-over. This still seems unlikely given Westbrook’s presence and the Lakers are also expecting Kendrick Nunn back who could see significant playing time. Schroder admitted the Lakers were not the “right fit” for his skillset after Los Angeles’ victory over Boston on December 7.
“To play with AD and LeBron,” Schroder told MassLive. “It was an honor to play with them and see every single day how they work and how they do things on the court, off the court, it’s just a blessing. It’s the reason I’m grateful that I’ve seen it but for me, personally, it wasn’t the right fit.
“That’s the reason I was hesitating a little bit. The way I played is not how Dennis played over his whole career in the NBA so that’s the reason I was like, ‘Okay, I have to see how it’s going next.’ That’s the reason why I even didn’t talk to the organization and said, ‘Listen, we can talk about (the contract) after the season. I want to concentrate during the season to finish it.’ Now, in the situation I’m in, I think I’m 100 percent comfortable so far. You feel the appreciation, you feel the organization is trying to help you, your family, your friends or whatever. It’s been great so far. I mean, this is all I wanted and I think we can accomplish something big here.”