Why Does Dennis Schroder Get Traded So Often?

Why Does Dennis Schroder Get Traded So Often?

After the recent trade to the Charlotte Hornets, Dennis Schroder has now been traded 9 times. 6 times since 2024. Truly the journeyman of all journeymen. 

The thing is: it was not always this way. For the first five years of his career, Dennis was seen as the future point guard for the Atlanta Hawks. Once Jeff Teague departed in 2016, he became the guy for the Hawks at point guard.

Things soured, and the Hawks would be one of the worst teams in the NBA by 2018. And this is where it all started.

Dennis Schroder is a very good player. The issue is that he’s not good enough for a team to commit to him long term, but still good enough that teams think he can fill a hole on their roster. 

Once he moved on to the Thunder after the Hawks, he emerged as one of the best bench guards in the NBA. Understandably, the Lakers thought that he could continue that success as a starting guard.

Then came the most consequential decision of Dennis Schroder’s NBA career: denying a 4 year, $84 million contract. A contract that he was assuredly not worth, but the Lakers wanted to lock him down. From this point forward, he would start bouncing all around the NBA.

Every team he goes to, he is a good contributor. But, he’s just never good enough.

Yet, every trade deadline, somebody wants him because they think they will be the team that finally makes him a long term contributor.

Final Thoughts on Dennis Schroder’s Career

I can almost guarantee he will not spend longer than a season with the Charlotte Hornets. He is only there as a stopgap for the point guard problem that was created with the Lamelo Ball trade. Sure, he probably won’t start every game, but he’ll be just good enough to garner trade interest, but not good enough that the Hornets bother to keep him around.

This is not to diss Dennis Schroder at all: it is an amazing feeling to be wanted in life. I crave that feeling. Everyone does.  Plus, his international career has been so exceptional for his home country of Germany that he even has an outside chance to make the Basketball Hall of Fame. No, this is not just something I made up. He’s done things for German basketball even Dirk could not do.

He’s likely got a few more years left in the NBA too. After all, he’ll only be 33 at the end of this season. 

And as long as teams keep trading for him, he will assuredly stick around in the league. But, he will always be one of the more intriguing basketball players of this era.