Getty Lakers' Rob Pelinka and Darvin Ham
The Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly considering signing a 28-year-old guard who played for them in 2020-21.
According to an August 23rd report from Marc Stein of Substack, signing Dennis Schroder is a “legit consideration” for the Lakers. Los Angeles is waiting to see how the rest of its roster develops before making a final decision on Schroder.
Re-signing free agent guard Dennis Schröder is a “legit consideration” for the Lakers, league sources say, depending on how the rest of their roster develops.
After one season as a Laker, Schröder played for Boston and Houston in 2021-22.
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The Lakers acquired Schroder from the Oklahoma City Thunder in November 2020. The veteran appeared in 61 games for the purple and gold during the 2020-21 season and averaged 15.4 points, 3.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists while shooting 43.7% from the field, 33.5% from beyond the arc and 84.8% from the free-throw line.
Los Angeles went 42-30 in 2020-21 and lost to the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the 2021 playoffs in six games. Schroder averaged 14.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists against the Suns and shot 40.0% overall and 30.8% from 3-point range.
Last summer, Schroder signed a one-year, $5.9 million deal with the Boston Celtics. The Braunschweig native played 49 games for the Celtics before getting traded to the Houston Rockets in February. Schroder finished the 2021-22 campaign with averages of 13.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists in 64 games with Boston and Houston.
Schroder Sent Message to LeBron James in July
Schroder posted a video of him spinning a basketball on his finger and drilling a 3-pointer on his Instagram page on July 19th. Lakers superstar LeBron James commented on the video and Schroder replied by asking the King, “Might gotta run it back?!”
The comments section of Dennis Schroder’s IG post this morning…
Schroder was a better fit next to James and Anthony Davis in 2020-21 than Russell Westbrook was last season. Westbrook was second in the NBA in turnovers and had the sixth-worst effective field goal percentage. The one-time MVP was also 42nd in true shooting percentage.
Schroder is a superior shooter than Westbrook. The Menace is a career 33.8% shooter from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, Russ is at 30.5%.
Last season, the Lakers ranked 22nd in the NBA in 3-point shooting, hitting 34.7% of their team attempts. Schroder shot 34.4% from beyond the arc in 2021-22 and made 86 3-pointers. He could make the Lakers more dynamic on offense with his ability to space the floor and hit perimeter shots.
Lakers Promised James They Would Improve Roster
According to an August 18th report from Stein, James has been assured that the Lakers are willing to trade both of their available future first-round picks in 2027 and 2029.
“L.A. has nonetheless pledged to James that it will indeed continue to aggressively pursue upgrades,” Stein reported. “League sources say James, in fact, has been assured that the Lakers are willing to trade both of their available future first-round picks in 2027 and 2029 if a trade that costs them both picks can realistically position the Lakers to return to contender status.”
James signed a two-year, $97.1 million extension with the Lakers on August 18th. The extension includes a player option for the 2024-25 season and has a 15% trade kicker.
The Lakers went 30-10 in 2020-21 when James and Schroder played. James averaged 25.2 points, 7.7 rebounds and 7.8 assists in 40 games with Schroder. Meanwhile, Schroder averaged 14.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists alongside James.
James, the only player in NBA history to record 10,000+ points, 10,000+ rebounds and 10,000+ assists in his career, will turn 38 in December. The four-time Finals MVP averaged 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists last season in 56 starts.