The Lakers are giving “legit consideration” to the idea of bringing back free agent point guard Dennis Schröder, league sources tell veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein (Twitter link).
Schröder, who will turn 29 next month, was traded from the Thunder to the Lakers in exchange for Danny Green and a first-round pick during the 2020 offseason and spent one season in Los Angeles. The veteran guard averaged 15.4 PPG, 5.8 APG and 3.5 RPG on .437/.335/.848 shooting in 61 games (32.1 MPG) in his first and only season as a Laker.
Schröder reportedly turned down a four-year extension offer worth approximately $80M from the Lakers midway through the 2020-21 season, then had to settle for a one-year, $5.9M contract in free agency a year ago. Following an up-and-down year in Boston and Houston, the German now seems likely to settle for a minimum-salary contract in 2022-23 — that’s all the Lakers can offer, since they already used their full taxpayer mid-level exception.
According to Stein, the odds of Schröder joining the Lakers will depend on “how the rest of their roster develops.” That’s a little vague, but it could be a reference to the fact that Russell Westbrook‘s future remains up in the air. If Westbrook shows in the preseason that he still isn’t meshing with the Lakers starting lineup, the team could become more inclined to take a shot on Schröder.
A Westbrook trade may also open the door for a Schröder signing, but the Lakers would probably have to acquire multiple players in any deal involving the former MVP in order to match his $47M+ salary. That could complicate the club’s ability to add another free agent after trading Westbrook.
Currently, the Lakers have 12 players on fully guaranteed contracts, with Austin Reaves and Wenyen Gabriel on non-guaranteed deals. Given that team salary is far above the luxury tax line, Los Angeles may open the season with its 15th roster spot open.
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