Dennis Schroder, a former Houston Rockets guard and free agent, may have found a new home with the Los Angeles Lakers after a nearly six-month absence. Schröder has been a free agent since his season-ending shoulder injury was declared in March of this year. Thankfully, the guard and the Lakers have reached an agreement that will help him redeem his old self.
According to his agent, Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports, the Los Angeles Lakers and Dennis Schroder have agreed to a one-year, $2.64 million contract. This will be the second time Dennis will be donning a Lakers jersey. He played for the Lakers in 2020 and was traded to the Celtics in 2021.
While playing for the Lakers in 2020–21, Schroder averaged 15.4 points and nearly six assists per game. He rejected an extension for more than $80 million. The Lakers acquired point guard Russell Westbrook in a trade during the off-season of 2021, indicating that Schröder would unavoidably be replaced.
The newly signed head coach Darvin Ham and Dennis Schröder, have spent five seasons together with the Atlanta Hawks. “We are extremely pleased to welcome Dennis Schröder back to the Lakers,” said Pelinka in a statement announcing the signing. “Not only do Dennis and Coach Ham share a player-coach history together, but they also reflect one another’s mentality of toughness with an extremely competitive edge.”
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“Dennis will add both depth and an on-ball defensive presence to our core at the guard position. He is also a proven scorer and playmaker. We are really excited for Dennis to get to camp and get back to work in L.A. after his highly successful run with his national team this offseason.”
After Germany’s loss to Spain in the semifinal of the EuroBasket 2022, the transfer news was announced just hours afterwards. Schroder was a key player in Germany’s successful EuroBasket run, and with a victory over Poland, the team will be in position to take home the bronze medal. Schroder led all scorers with 30 points on Friday. In nine NBA seasons, the 29-year-old has averaged 14.2 points and 4.7 assists per game.
