One of the biggest storylines to watch with the Los Angeles Lakers this summer was how they would handle point guard Dennis Schroder after an up-and-down first season with the team.
The Lakers traded Danny Green and a first-round pick for Schroder last offseason in hopes that he would be the team’s second playmaker alongside LeBron James.
Things didn’t go as planned though as Schroder’s play was subpar in the playoffs and it led to the Lakers being eliminated in the first round.
Along the way, Schroder was reportedly offered a four-year, $84 million extension that he turned down from the Lakers in order to reach free agency this summer.
That turned out to be a poor decision for Schroder as when free agency rolled around, the Lakers went a different direction at point guard by completing a trade for Russell Westbrook.
Schroder’s value around the league plummeted and he went from potentially making more than $20 million annually with the Lakers to having to sign a one-year, $6 million contract with the Boston Celtics.
Considering how he handled things, Schroder has become the butt of a lot of jokes this summer. He is a good sport about it though as he recently took to Instagram to show some of the funniest jokes made at his expense:
While Schroder may not have received the contract that he wanted, he should have extra motivation this season to prove the doubters wrong before going back into the open market next summer.
He likely will be coming off the bench with the Celtics, which is a lot different than when he came to L.A. and essentially demanded to start immediately.
Regardless though, Schroder is still a much better player than the contract he is playing on and he will get a chance to show that this year.
Rondo on role Vogel played in his return
In addition to Westbrook, one other point guard the Lakers brought in this summer to help replace Schroder is Rajon Rondo. He is back for his second stint with the team and recently discussed the role head coach Frank Vogel played in his return.
“It played a huge role, you know, obviously, everybody wants to be wanted. But having Coach Frank, I talked to him early this morning as far as his expectations for me and understanding that he missed my voice last year in the locker room, which meant a lot kind of saying that I do have value here and wanted to be wanted.
“And so Frank was a big key, obviously talking to Bron and AD, we keep in touch all the time. Rob has been true to me from day one, even the first time I signed with the Lakers. So just having those old relationships and not burning bridges in the past and having great things come together.”
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