Celtics Could Trade Dennis Schroder for Multiple Ex Top-10 Picks, Says Insider

When the Boston Celtics signed Dennis Schroder this past offseason, the pairing was always expected to be short-lived. While his uptick in performance this season has some Celtics faithful clinging to the idea that a long-term plan could be worked out, that remains unlikely. As The Athletic’s John Hollinger put it, on an expiring $5.9 million deal and no Bird rights, Schroder “seems like a longshot to be in green next year.” This notion has been widely voiced, as insider Marc Stein reported on December 17 that Schroder is one of the two players across the NBA landscape most likely to be dealt prior to the February 10 deadline — Detroit Pistons forward Jerami Grant being the other.

With Marcus Smart under contract through 2026 and Payton Pritchard refinding his consistency after an early-season slump, Hollinger believes Schroder is among a shortlist of players who will “dictate the 2022 deadline”:

…the Celtics don’t need Schröder anyway. Throw in that Boston is $6 million into the tax and going nowhere, and a Schröder trade makes all kinds of sense. Boston would likely want to include other players (Juancho Hernangomez’s $7 million, for instance) to get all the way out of the tax.

As for where Schroder could wind up finishing out his 2021-22 campaign, Hollinger has two specific places in mind, starting with the Cleveland Cavaliers:

Given recent events, a Schröder trade to Cleveland almost makes too much sense. The Cavs can’t offer a ton of tax relief because they’re so close to the line themselves, but the combined salaries of Kevin Pangos and Dean Wade are enough to offset Schröder’s salary in a trade and save Boston $2.5 million. Is Cleveland willing to throw in a second-round pick for a rental?

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Dallas a ‘Team to Watch’

Now, Hollinger did publish this column on December 30, the same day that talks of Rajon Rondo heading to Cleveland surfaced. Does the arrival of the former Celtics champion make Schroder a no-go for the Cavs? Maybe. Still, with Ricky Rubio and Collin Sexton both out for the season with knee injuries, it’s doubtful the team would be bullishly against adding quality depth to their backcourt  — at the right price that is.

However, if Cleveland is hesitant to pounce on a deal for Schroder, Hollinger believes the Dallas Mavericks could be a team to keep an eye on:

The other team to watch here is Dallas, where there is a ready-made fit because of the earlier Josh Richardson deal between the teams. That left the Mavs with a $10.9 million trade exception that could easily accommodate Schröder, in return for a future second; adding Hernangomez to the deal and sending Trey Burke and Frank Ntilikina to Boston would get the Celtics all the way out of the tax, though that might be a tougher sell from the Dallas end.

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Worth the Financial Benefits?

Now, it’s difficult to get too excited about the prospect of Boston’s hypothetical haul. Both  Burke and Ntilikina are former top-nine picks who have failed to truly live up to their draft billing. Still, Burke would gift the C’s another reserve ball-handler who at times has flashed impressive range, knocking down 42.7% of his 3-point attempts back in 2019. As for Ntilikina, he’s limited offensively but is still just 23 years old with enticing defensive traits.

We’d like to think the Celtics could do better than this. With that said, being above the luxury tax doesn’t feel all too warranted for a club that continues to hover around a .500 record.

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