Dennis Schroder enters free agency this summer, coming his lone season in Los Angeles where he averaged 15.4 points and 5.8 assists per game. Ultimately, Schroder had a very productive year, although he had a lot of criticism come his way after the zero-point performance in Game 5 of the Lakers’ first-round series against the Suns.
The Lakers offered Schroder a four-year $84 million deal mid-way through the season. Schroder declined and made it known publicly that he was looking for a deal in the $100 million-plus range. Unfortunately, the Lakers are in what The Athletic’s John Hollinger calls “The Bird Rights Trap, meaning the Lakers can go over the salary cap to sign the point guard but if they let him, they wouldn’t have the salary space to sign a replacement. Instead, they would have to use their mid-level exception to add similar talent.
Schroder is looking for a bigger role, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, and finding a new home could come via a sign-and-trade given the lack of teams with meaningful cap space.
Let’s look at some realistic options for the point guard should he leave the Lakers in free agency:
Chicago Bulls
With Coby White having an off-season shoulder injury that requires 4-6 months to recover, it opens up the door for the Bulls to consider their options at the position. Knowing they don’t hold a top ten pick in the draft, the free agency becomes more of a realistic option. However, the Bulls are looking to leap from a below-average team to a competitive playoff team in the Eastern Conference. And they aren’t as far off as people may think.
With All-Star Zach Lavine and Nikola Vucevic, who came to the team at the trade deadline, the Bulls are likely just one piece away rumbling into the postseason. Adding Dennis Schroder would give this team a legit third option who is capable of helping the club reach its goals.
The Bulls are looking at roughly $16.5 million to work with in cap space this summer but quickly can clear some more space if the outcome is a sign-and-trade or decide to part ways with players like Al-Farouq Aminu, Thadeous Young, Tomas Satoransky, or Daniel Theis. Bulls coach Billy Donovan coached Dennis Schroder in his two seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder, so he’d been a familiar fit in that regard.
New Orleans Pelicans
While it seems like the Pelicans routinely pick up former Lakers, Schroder is another player who makes sense for the franchise since the organization could be moving on from Lonzo Ball. Could there be a double sign-and-trade between the two franchises? It may be financially viable for both sides. Ball’s first stint in Los Angeles didn’t go as planned, though he has grown into a different player from his time there earlier in his career.
Pelicans will be looking to surround Zion Williamson with talent and Schroder would fit perfectly into the starting role alongside Brandon Ingram and Willamson. Note, the potential payday Schroder is looking for could be possible with New Orleans, especially if they strike out on their run for superstar Damian Lillard. If the Pelicans can do something productive with the No. 10 overall pick and find a way to add Schroder, it will be exciting to watch the team moving forward as Zion and Ingram continue developing and growing.
Dallas Mavericks
The Mavericks fell short once again in the postseason, though the signs are there that they could be a great team. Dallas lacks someone who can compliment Luka Doncic, though many thought that piece would be Kristaps Porzingis. And while it still could be, Dallas could use another trusted playmaker on the court. Schroder is the type of player who can take pressure off of Doncic due to his ability to score from isolation and bring up and handle the basketball.
Like the Bulls, there’s familiarity within the Mavs’ organization with regard to Schroder. Jason Kidd, who became the head coach of the Mavericks, coached the point guard this past season as an assistant with the Lakers.
The Mavs could have $29.8 million in projected cap space to work with this offseason, though how much they have to spend will come down to what they do with Tim Hardaway Jr. Regardless, slotting Schroder in the $20 million annually range is feasible.
Dallas was close to beating a healthy Clippers team, so making a move like signing Schroder could be precisely what gets them to that next level in a very competitive Western Conference.
