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After a shockingly long wait, Dennis Schroder finally has his new team. He signed a one-year deal with the Boston Celtics worth only $5.9 million. That’s a major downgrade from the $84 million contract that the Los Angeles Lakers offered him.
Schroder’s decision to wait until free agency to sign a contract was one of the worst in history. After underperforming and just being difficult for the Lakers, they had no interest in bringing him back. Teams around the NBA also didn’t seem to value him that high. The whole Schroder disaster elicited responses from many around the league, including Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal.
He posted a photo of the guard’s contract details on Instagram with the caption: “Things that make you go hmmmmmm #whatthehellareyouthinking.”
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InstagramPhoto from Shaquille O’Neal’s Instagram.
Free agency went very poorly for Schroder. He was once considered a top point guard and the Lakers were praised when they traded for him. He’s now making less than players that aren’t even close to his level. It’s one thing to turn down a big contract in hopes of making money, but you need to ball out in the process. Scoring zero points in a playoff game isn’t going to convince a lot of people to pay you $100+ million.
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Schroder Was ‘Shocked’ With How Free Agency Went
Based on free agency, it’s clear that Schroder values himself more than any team does. Prior to signing with the Celtics, he wasn’t feeling so great.
“He needs time — I think he’s in a state of shock because of what he’s done,” a source told Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald.
He should be in shock. He thought he was going to get the biggest payday of his career but is now set to make more than $10 million less than he did last season. It’s also unlikely that he’ll get the starting job over Marcus Smart in Boston. It’s just been a nightmare scenario for Schroder over the last month. He’s got a lot of ground to cover this season if he hopes to get something in the $10+ million range next offseason.
Schroder’s Wife Reacts to Contract News
It’s easy to pile on Schroder right now due to his attitude with the Lakers but that doesn’t mean he’s a bad player. He’s certainly worth a lot more than $5.9 million. Los Angeles thinks so as that previously offered him over $20 million a season. There were a lot of good point guards on the move this offseason so it wasn’t the best market for Schroder. It was wise for him to delay his next big contract until next year.
Schroder’s wife Ellen Schroder sent a message on her husband’s decision after the news dropped.
“I’m so proud of my husband that he made this decision to stay true to himself and to fight for his goals and his vision! I know not everyone understands this. They would choose money before anything else. But let me tell you: Show some love, be patient, and watch what will happen next,” Schroder wrote on her Instagram story, via Lakers Daily.
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