Dennis Schroder: Why didn’t the Celtics’ point guard re-sign with the Lakers?

Dennis Schroder’s name made headlines this offseason when he finally struck a one-year, $ 5.9 million deal with the Celtics.

The 28-year-old is in the prime of his career and is expected to enter free agency in 2023 with much more profitable offers, but the pot quickly dried up following a disappointing performance by the Lakers in the playoffs.

Once rumors spread that Schroder turned down an $ 84 million extension from the Lakers during the middle of the season in hopes of gambling himself on a bigger deal, the internet took off with jokes about all the money he left on the Lakers. desk.

Schroder even scoffed at the situation later in the offseason, but how did it all play out before his signing with the Celtics?

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Explaining Dennis Schroder’s contractual situation

After a solid showing in the final year of his rookie contract in 2017, the Atlanta Hawks, who selected Schroder with the No. 17th in the 2013 NBA Draft, they gave the 23-year-old a $ 70 prize for four years. millions of extension.

After signing the deal, Schroder only played one more season in Atlanta, where he averaged 19.4 points, the highest of his career, with 6.2 assists and 3.1 rebounds per game. The Hawks finished 24-58 and it was clear a rebuild was underway, so the franchise chose to send Schroder to the Oklahoma City Thunder as part of a three-team trade with the Philadelphia 76ers in an effort to get more draft picks. .

Schroder played alongside Russell Westbrook and Paul George in his first season in OKC, but after the team was knocked out of the playoffs in the first round by Damian Lillard, the series ringer and beater, the Thunder began to start a reconstruction, or something like that. They thought. Trading Westbrook and George for a treasure chest of draft picks, Chris Paul and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder ended up exceeding expectations in a big way.

Schroder scored 18.9 points per game on his way to being named a finalist for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award the following season, playing a major role on a team that surprisingly made the playoffs.

Following a first-round elimination, the Thunder chose to go fully into a rebuild, sending Paul to the Phoenix Suns and Schroder to the Lakers as both guards were entering a contract season.

This is where Schroder’s contract situation got interesting.

The 27-year-old was solid for the Lakers all season, averaging 15.4 points and 5.8 assists per game. It was even better when LeBron James missed several games due to injury during a crucial stretch of the season, scoring 16.8 points and 7.9 assists per game in his absence.

It was around this time that rumors began to circulate that Schroder turned down an $ 84 million extension, allegedly seeking something in excess of $ 100 million.

Soon after, the Lakers’ starting point guard fell to COVID-19, missing a two-week span in the final month of the season. He only played in two games before the start of the playoffs and the rust showed when it mattered most.

Schroder averaged just 14.3 points and 2.8 assists per game in the playoffs, including a pivotal Game 5 against the Suns where he scored zero points. Failing to prepare for something big in the offseason, that’s when the “spoiling the bag” jokes took off.

What did Dennis Schroder say about your contractual situation?

Once it became clear that Schroder would not re-sign with the Lakers, it took the 28-year-old a while to find a deal. It wasn’t until late in free agency that it was announced that Schroder would sign with the Celtics, but the deal was far less than he would have expected: just one year, $ 5.9 million.

What did Schroder have to say about the rumors of his potential contract with the Lakers?

“The Lakers told us we won’t talk during the season,” Schroder said before the start of the year, according to NBC Sports Boston. “At the end of the day, I never had that contract in front of me, that’s one thing. But they wanted to talk, and at the end of the day, my agent and I decided not to sign that contract.

“… I love the Lakers organization, they did great things. But I think for me, and it’s just a business, I don’t think I fit 100 percent (with the Lakers). You play with LeBron and AD, that’s it. two of the best players in the NBA, I don’t think I gave them everything that I bring to the table.

“For me, my family, I signed a pretty good contract after my fourth year and my family and I are going to be fine. I’m 28 years old and I’m still going to play in the NBA for a while. A long time. Money is not. Everything. I want to be comfortable in a situation where I know people appreciate me. “

The deal functions as a “test” year for Schroder, who has now thrived with the Celtics during the early part of the season. Averaging 17.9 points and 4.9 assists per game, he becomes one of the team’s favorite scorers. He has faced Boston several times already, especially with the frequent early-season absence of Jaylen Brown, who has been dealing with a hamstring injury.

He’s looking to continue this level of play, so when he enters unrestricted free agency in 2023, he may have a few more offers that make up for his level of talent.