In an attempt to get younger and more talented, the Los Angeles Lakers traded Danny Green and the No. 28 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Dennis Schroder.
Schroder’s tenacity and ability to impact the game on both ends of the court has already helped the Lakers in their first two games. It was especially important in the team’s blowout win against the Dallas Mavericks, where Schroder had 18 points and six assists.
The performance came directly after initial speculation that the Lakers had already started talks on an extension with the veteran point guard. While nothing is set in stone yet, the Lakers reportedly offered Schroder a two-year contract extension, which he rejected, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN:
Before the start of the season, Schroder turned down an initial Lakers offer to extend his contract for an additional two years and $33.4 million, sources said — an overture that represented the maximum allowable offer the Lakers could make to him prior to Feb. 16.
When the Lakers traded for Schroder, two years, $33.4 million was the best offer they could legally make under the CBA. It will remain that way until Feb. 16, when the Lakers best possible offer becomes four years and $83 million, representing a per-year value of about $20.75 million.
Regardless of the number required to keep him, the Lakers will be highly motivated to do so. If they let Schroder walk, they’ll be left with only mid-level exceptions to look for replacements. There is no one on the market better than Schroder that would take that kind of money.
And although it’s a very small sample size, Schroder seems to fit well in the starting lineup alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Of three-man combinations that played at least 20 minutes together during the first two games, Davis, James and Schroder is by far the best with a 15.3 net rating.
Frank Vogel pleased with ‘winning’ players Schroder, Harrell
Schroder and Montrezl Harrell have already made a tangible impact on the Lakers, representing a clear improvement in certain areas from last season. Head coach Frank Vogel has already taken note of both players’ ability to make their presence felt.
“Trezz just being that junkyard dog, going in and rebounding, making plays in the paint and doing all the dirty work,” Vogel said. “And Dennis is a dynamic player. … Just with his ability to score and get in the paint. Defensively, he’s really strong as well. Both of them are winning players are going to be big contributors for us this year.”
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