Dennis Schroder does not want to come off bench for Lakers

Dennis Schroder was an elite NBA sixth man last season, but now he has his eyes on a bigger prize with his new team.

The Los Angeles guard told reporters on Monday that he would like to start for the Lakers, not come off the bench, next season.

“I did this off the bench stuff already the last two years in OKC,” Schroder said, per Bill Oram of The Athletic. “I think with LeBron [James] and AD [Anthony Davis], I can be helpful as a starter in the PG position.”

The Lakers acquired Schroder in a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder earlier this month. He averaged 18.9 points and 4.0 assists per game off the bench last season, finishing in second place for Sixth Man of the Year.

While James is the de facto point guard, the Lakers lost both halves of their starting backcourt last regular season in Avery Bradley and Danny Green. However, Schroder can thrive as a complementary ball-handler, often sharing the floor in three-guard lineups with Chris Paul and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for the Thunder. Nevertheless, Schroder might not be the only new addition in the Lakers’ starting five next season.