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Dennis Schroder split opinions among the Boston Celtics fanbase during his half-season tenure with the franchise.
Sure, Schroder was an impressive offensive player off the bench, but some, including this writer, felt that his gung-ho style of play was counterproductive to the system Ime Udoka was trying to implement. Of course, Schroder would end up being traded at the February deadline, as part of the package to bring Daniel Theis back to the TD Garden.
Since the end of last season, Schroder has been one of the more talented guards available on the free-agent market, and many have wondered when a team would see sense and snap him up. Well, on Friday, September 16, the Los Angeles Lakers did just that, inking their former guard to a one-year $2.6 million dollar contract.
Similar to his tenure in Boston, Schroder will likely play a sixth-man role for the Lakers – unless they can find a willing buyer for Russell Westbrook in the coming months. Still, while coming off the bench for the Celtics, Schroder averaged 14.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game, while shooting 34.9% from deep and 48.5% from inside the perimeter – so it’s clear his presence will improve the Celtics’ storied rivals heading into the new season.
Schroder has Impressed for Germany
Throughout the summer, Europe’s best basketball talent have all been involved in the EuroBasket tournament – which has seen numerous NBA stars impress for their countries.
Without a doubt, Schroder has been the best league guard throughout the tournament, leading Germany to the semi-finals, where they eventually lost to Spain 96-91. As such, Schroder and his German teammates will now face Poland in the ‘game for third place’ on Sunday, September 18.
Still, Schroder has been a captivating member of the tournament, and currently holds averages of 21.6 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game, while shooting 43.1% from the field. With those sorts of averages, it’s no surprise that Schroder has found himself inking a new deal to return to an NBA franchise, but there will still be questions surrounding his motivations for only agreeing to a one-year deal.
Schroder Has Murky History With Lakers
When the Celtics acquired Dennis Schroder via free agency last season, it was seen as a coup, as the guard had just rejected a reported $80 million extension from the Lakers, as he believed he could earn more on the free agent market.
However, things didn’t go as Schroder had planned, and he ended up inking a one-year $5.9 million deal with the Celtics. So, it’s surprising that Schroder has since agreed to return to the Lakers so soon after rejecting their offer of a contract extension – which only serves to show how much money the Braunschweig native left on the table when he decided to enter free agency in 2021.
It will be interesting to see how Schroder’s relationship with the Lakers unfolds in the coming months, and whether he can carve open a significant role for himself within the rotation. Furthermore, while Schroder enjoyed a reasonable relationship with the Lakers fanbase before he left, there’s no guarantee they welcome him back with open arms this time around – especially after he ended up playing for the Celtics this past season.
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