When the Los Angeles Lakers picked up Dennis Schroder last season, many fans saw this as the perfect opportunity to improve. Schroder was brought in as a replacement for Rajon Rondo, and the expectation was that Schroder would take the Lakers to the next level on offense. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen as Schroder largely struggled throughout the season, especially during the playoffs where the Lakers were eliminated by the Phoenix Suns.
Despite these problems, the Lakers offered Schroder an $84 million contract prior to free agency, and the star eventually turned it down. When free agency began, there was a feeling that Schroder would remain in L.A. although that changed once the Russell Westbrook trade happened.
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Now, Schroder remains without a team and the situation is starting to look a bit dire. According to Marc Stein, Schroder has not been offered any other deals, and the interest surrounding him is almost non-existent at this point. There were times where he was visibly frustrated with the Lakers, however, this alone shouldn’t have been enough for Schroder to become a pariah of sorts. At this point, Schroder may very well have to settle for a massive pay cut if he wants to play in the NBA next year.
Schroder’s situation is both fascinating and baffling at the same time. At this point, the Lakers may very well have to do a sign-and-trade, which is something that would benefit all of the sides involved.
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