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Woj: Ex-Lakers PG Dennis Schroder and Celtics Agree to 1-Year, $5.9M Contract
August 10, 2021
Dennis Schroder's time with the Los Angeles Lakers is over after one season.
Schroder and the Boston Celtics have agreed to a one-year deal for the team's $5.9 million exception, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
This comes after Wojnarowski reported the point guard and the Lakers started "engaging" in contract talks in December with the plan to pick the discussions up in February when the point guard was eligible for an extension of up to four years and $83 million.
Los Angeles was able to offer an extension of just two years for $33.4 million prior to Feb. 16, which Schroder reportedly rejected.
Alas, he never signed a new deal with the team and hit the open market this offseason as an unrestricted free agent. And in the end, he gave up a lot of money in the process.
On the court, Schroder and big man Montrezl Harrell represented the Lakers' biggest additions following their championship inside the Walt Disney World Resort bubble.
"Their abilities to score and be efficient just adds to our firepower," LeBron James told reporters when talking about the pair following a Christmas Day victory over the Dallas Mavericks.
Schroder's ability to score has always stood out. He improved his scoring in each of his first five seasons in the league with the Atlanta Hawks until he averaged a career-best 19.4 points per game in 2017-18.
Those efforts largely continued during his two seasons with the Thunder when he averaged a combined 17.0 points, 4.1 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 0.8 steals per game while shooting 36.1 percent from deep. That ability to hit from three-point range surely stood out to the Lakers before acquiring him considering the openings playing with James and Anthony Davis naturally create.
While Schroder wasn't the focal point of the offense for the Purple and Gold, he averaged 15.4 points, 5.8 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game in 2020-21. He also averaged 14.3 points a night in the playoffs, although the team lost to the Phoenix Suns in the first round.
He helped make up for the loss of Rajon Rondo, who was critical during the Lakers' run to the 2020 championship as a veteran leader who could set others up or score himself.
After Kemba Walker's stint in Boston ended without any rings, the Celtics will look to Schroder to help the club take the next step. As Brad Stevens' first offseason in the front office continues to remake the roster, Schroder offers depth in the backcourt and a veteran presence on the floor.
If his stint in Los Angeles was truly just an off year, Boston may have found one of the steals of free agency. And Schroder will have the chance to have a big year and reestablish his market value in free agency next summer after leaving a lot of cash on the table.