The Los Angeles Lakers could very well be looking at another roster overhaul in the offseason as most of the team is set to hit free agency.
The biggest question mark concerns the backcourt as Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is the only guard under contract for the 2021-22 NBA season. Dennis Schroder, Alex Caruso, and Talen Horton-Tucker are all in line for new deals, and vice president of basketball operations, Rob Pelinka, will have a tough decision on who to retain.
Schroder, in particular, is a difficult case as he turned down a mid-season extension and could be in search of a more lucrative contract. However, Schroder is in a tough spot as the free-agent point guard pool is fairly deep, and money in the market could dry up quickly.
One guard to watch will be Spencer Dinwiddie, who has been rehabbing after a torn ACL. The guard took to his Instagram to show he is finally healthy and even seemingly took a shot at Schroder and the rest of the guards who will be available on his Instagram account:
Dinwiddie and Schroder join Mike Conley, Kyle Lowry, Goran Dragic and Lonzo Ball in the point guard market. While he may not actually be the best option, he will surely get lucrative offers once free agency begins. In addition, Dinwiddie is rumored to want to come back home to Los Angeles, and the two sides could have interest if Schroder decides to leave.
How effective Dinwiddie can be after coming off an ACL injury remains to be seen, but if he is truly healthy, then his ability to score and shoot the basketball from outside could be exactly what the Lakers need.
Dennis Schroder reportedly seeking $100-$120 million
Immediately after being eliminated from the playoffs, Schroder revealed he wanted to come back to the Lakers. However, he also maintained his stance that he wants his next deal to be a fair one.
Schroder announced he would not be playing for Germany in the Olympic Qualifiers because of insurance issues. It was later revealed that he is expecting close to $100-$120 million in free agency. This is an exorbitant number much higher than the originally reported four-year, $84 million deal that the Lakers offered.