Dennis Schroder raises a lot of question marks. There’s obviously a lot of questions in regards to how the Los Angeles Lakers are going to shapeshift their respective roster next year. Since they lost in the first round of the playoffs to the eventual Western Conference Champion, Phoenix Suns, they were forced to go back to the drawing board. One of the rumors that continues to circulate the organization is whether or not the Lakers could potentially upgrade at the point guard position. While this scenario is unlikely to occur, Damian Lillard is a name that pops up in trade rumors to the Lakers.
Currently, their starting point guard is Dennis Schroder, who just completed his eighth year in the league. Schroder was acquired by the Lakers via a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder. In which they traded sharpshooter Danny Green, and also the draft rights of Jaden McDaniels, in exchange for his services. Despite having a couple of COVID-related issues, Schroder was able to compete in 61 games in which he averaged 15.4 PPG, 3.5 RPG, and 5.8 APG. In addition to that, he also scored a career-high in steals (1.1 SPG) and minutes (32.1 MPG).
Dennis Schroder’s Contract Problem
Schroder is a solid guard that possesses the speed and confidence in order to compete at the highest level. However, his confidence is getting the best of him. Because, before the start of the season, he was persistent on not being a bench player. Essentially, he was already demanding a starting position before he even played in his first official Lakers game. Lucky for him, former starting point guard for the Lakers, Rajon Rondo, elected to sign with the Atlanta Hawks during free agency. This gave Schroder his wish since the point guard position was open. Despite being relatively liked by the Lakers organization and fan base, Schroder continued to test his limits. Because there were reports that Schroder turned down a four-year $84 million extension deal from the Lakers back in March.
Schroder has just completed his four-year $70 million deal that he originally signed with the Hawks back in 2017. This means that he will become an unrestricted free agent at the conclusion of the Finals. This time around he is apparently seeking a max contract that is worth anywhere from the $100 million to $120 million range. Obviously, this raises the question of whether or not Schroder is worth that kind of money. Because paying him that kind of money is a serious commitment. To provide some reference, LeBron James is guaranteed about $124.9 million for his contract.
Final Verdict on Dennis Schroder
The answer as to whether or not Schroder is worth that kind of money is simple – absolutely not. Obviously, since he was a part of the roster this past season, the Lakers are capable of granting him his wish. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that they should. Especially since Schroder performed mediocrely during the playoffs. He shot only 40 percent on the floor, and 30.8 percent from three-point range.
Those numbers were obviously way worse compared to his season totals. It will be interesting to see if there’s a team willing to pay Schroder that kind of money. Especially since he has never made an all-star appearance, or even received any sort of NBA award recognition. So, if Schroder is set at his asking price, then the Lakers should explore other point guard options via free agency or the trade market. It’s worth noting that the Lakers have said that Kyle Kuzma is likely to be traded. So, this could make their offseason even more interesting for them.
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