Lakers Rumors: Dennis Schroder Expecting $100-$120M Contract in Free Agency

Los Angeles Lakers point guard Dennis Schroder is reportedly expecting to get around $100 million to $120 million in free agency.

Armin Andres, the Vice President of German Basketball Federation, said as much on the Abteilung Basketball podcast (h/t basketball journalist Manuel Baraniak).

TalkBasket.net relayed Andres' quotes: "Dennis Schroeder has communicated this clearly: he wants $100, $120 million—which he will probably also get—and this sum insured cannot be insured on the normal market at the moment."

The Lakers acquired the German guard via trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder on Nov. 18, 2020. He averaged 15.4 points on 43.7 percent shooting, 5.8 assists and 3.5 rebounds for the 42-30 Lakers, who fell in six games to the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

The shorthanded Lakers were without superstars LeBron James and/or Anthony Davis for a large chunk of the season, and AD only played 25 minutes over the last three playoff games.

Over that playoff stretch, Schroder struggled, scoring eight points in Game 4 and none in Game 5. He dropped 20 in Game 6, but 16 of them were in a second half that began with Phoenix up 62-43.

The finish to Schroder's season likely won't help him land a nine-figure contract, although he's impressed at times over his last two campaigns.

Schroder dropped 18.9 points per game as a sixth man for the 2019-20 Thunder, who surprised many by making the playoffs despite undergoing a significant teardown and roster rebuild.  

He also helped carry the offense after James suffered a high ankle sprain on March 20, averaging 16.8 points and 7.9 assists per game from March 21-April 30.

The Atlanta Hawks selected Schroder with the 17th overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft. Atlanta dealt Schroder to Oklahoma City during the 2018 offseason, one year after signing him to a four-year, $70 million deal.

The Lakers and Schroder reportedly engaged in extension talks, but Jovan Buha and Bill Oram of The Athletic reported on March 25 that the two sides were "far apart" and that the guard was "seeking a multi-year extension that would pay him more than $20 million per year."