Getty Boston Celtics guard Dennis Schroder brings up the ball in a game against the Phoenix Suns.
The Golden State Warriors gave a hard look at guard Dennis Schroder last offseason, but he ultimately proved too expensive for the cash-strapped club with just one roster spot to fill. Just a few months later, Schroder could be available again.
As Jay King of The Athletic noted, teams around the league believe that the Boston Celtics could be shopping Schroder as he does not appear to fit into their long-term plans. King noted that with Schroder’s expiring contract, he would likely only be valuable to a team looking to make a title run — which would fit Golden State’s description.
“Boston could get valuable draft capital for Schröder, but shouldn’t expect to land any players in return who are ready to contribute to winning immediately,” he wrote.
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Warriors Pursued Schroder
As Wes Goldberg of Mercury News reported back in August, the Warriors looking into signing Schroder to round out their roster. At the time, the Warriors would have used the taxpayer mid-level exception to sign the 28-year-old guard. Goldberg reported that the Warriors looked into using the $5.9 million exception on some proven veterans, including point guard Patty Mills and forward Nic Batum, but didn’t end up reaching a deal with any of them.
“We offered it to a few people, but they chose other directions,” Warriors general manager Bob Myers said at the time. “We put it out there, but we weren’t just going to put it out there without some level of discernment. So we tried. Ultimately after a few guys went off the board, we kind of held it in check.”
Payton Pritchard’s strong recent play has added another layer to the Celtics’ Dennis Schroder situation. My story on what is shaping up as a significant trade deadline storyline:
The Warriors ultimately rounded out the roster by signing Gary Payton II, who joined the team in the middle of the previous season and impressed with his strong defensive play. Payton has since moved into the regular rotation, and started for the Warriors on December 22 after a spate of injuries and health and safety protocol absenses.
Warriors May Be Done Making Moves
If Schroder does end up on the trade block this year, the Warriors may no longer be interested unless a need arises through injury. Speaking to The Athletic’s Tim Kawakami, Golden State owner Joe Lacob said he wants a mix of veteran players and budding young stars who will one day move into larger roles.
“First of all, this is the only path,” Lacob said. “There is no other path. I don’t really understand what people are talking about. We have the highest payroll in the history of the NBA by a longshot. So we are all-in. But I believe, we believe — our coaching staff and our basketball operations staff — the great teams have a combination of types of talent. You want to be able to play different ways. You want to have young players that are developing and you want to have the great ones that are already there.”
Lost in the Steph Curry and Gary Payton II performances last night were two threes by Jonathan Kuminga in the 2nd quarter to keep the game close and in reach.
Kuminga’s shot has visibly more arc compared to earlier this season. He’s 6-of-11 on threes over the last 3 games.
The Warriors could potentially land Schroder without having to give up promising young players like rookies Moses Moody and Jonathan Kuminga or second-year center James Wiseman. As The Athletic’s King noted, the Celtics will likely only be able to net draft picks given Schroder’s expiring contract.
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I’d rather have Patty Mills on the team