As he remains available and they look to fill a need, are Dennis Schroder and the Golden State Warriors a marriage waiting to happen?
A headline was made when it was reported Dennis Schroder turned down a four-year, $84 million contract offer from the Los Angeles Lakers as he eyed a deal in the $100 million range. But reality hit, and no one met that asking price in free agency.
The Boston Celtics have been rumored to have interest in Schroder, and they are the only team being attached to him right now. But on Tuesday morning, Jordan Schultz of ESPN reported there’s a hang-up in negotiations on Schroder’s end.
Schroder started all 61 games he played for the Lakers last season, averaging 15.4 points, 5.8 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game. He followed with 20 or more points in three of six games during Los Angeles’ playoff series against the Phoenix Suns.
Could another team swoop in and sign Dennis Schroder?
At this point Schroder is not in a position to be choosy. That he’s apparently nitpicking the Celtics over $3.6 million for 2021-22 and having a player option for a second year speaks to his still-warped view of reality, and could turn Boston away if they don’t want to be hard-capped.
The Golden State Warriors seem primed for a return to title contention next season. Klay Thompson will hopefully be back healthy after two missed seasons, and they’ve added some depth pieces via the draft and free agency.
That being said, the loss of Kelly Oubre in free agency leaves a scoring void off the bench for Golden State which they haven’t really replaced. Beyond Steph Curry, Thompson (if healthy) and Andrew Wiggins (when he’s interested and engaged) are the only ones who strike much fear in opponents on the offensive end.
Schroder is not a great 3-point shooter, or a particularly strong defender. But he would bring experience and some scoring punch to the Warriors backcourt mix as Thompson eases back into action. The Warriors can also pay him the full mid-level exception he’s looking for, so on that front there’s also a fit.