Dennis Schroder approaching wild NBA record with latest trade

NBA teams seem to always want to have Dennis Schroder around. Just not for too long.

Schroder joined his seventh team in 30 months Friday when the Cleveland Cavaliers sent the veteran guard to the Charlotte Hornets. That will be Schroder's 12th different NBA team, one short of Ish Smith's record of playing for 13 different franchises.

Dennis Schroder has spent five seasons as a journeyman

For a player about to join his 12th team, Schroder's early NBA career was quite stable. He spent his first five seasons with the Atlanta Hawks before being traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder, when the Hawks rebuilt in the post-Al Horford era. Schroder made the playoffs both seasons in OKC, finishing a surprising fifth in 2019-20 after the Thunder traded Russell Westbrook and Paul George.

Then, Schroder was dealt to the Los Angeles Lakers, where he could have stayed for years. He didn't.

Schroder reportedly turned down a four-year, $84M contract extension with the Lakers, believing he could make more in free agency. That turned him into a journeyman. He ended up settling for a one-year, $5.9M deal with the Boston Celtics, who traded Schroder to the Houston Rockets at midseason. 

In 2022-23, Schroder was a Laker again — playing for the veteran minimum.

Dennis Schroder is just useful enough to always be wanted

In a way, it's a compliment that so many teams have been interested in Schroder. He parlayed a strong season with the Lakers into a two-year deal with the Toronto Raptors, who traded him to the Brooklyn Nets when they began selling veterans midseason.

Brooklyn sent him to the Golden State Warriors to replace the injured De'Anthony Melton, then the Warriors traded Schroder to the Detroit Pistons in a deal that gave them Jimmy Butler. The Pistons sign-and-traded Schroder to the Sacramento Kings, who traded him to the Cavs for their stretch run.

That's because Schroder, despite his flaws, elevates his game in the playoffs. He's won two gold medals for Germany and two FIBA MVP trophies for his performances in the 2023 World Cup and the 2025 EuroBasket tournament. Schroder won playoff games for the Pistons and Cavaliers in the last two seasons with scoring outbursts of 20 and 19 points, respectively.

Schroder isn't a traditional point guard, but rather a score-first ball-handler. His best role is probably a microwave scorer off the bench who can be a true pest on defense. As such, he's always helpful for teams who need an extra gut to dribble and distribute the ball, like the Hornets, but isn't too valuable to sacrifice when a team needs to cut payroll, like the Cavaliers.

Unlike the record-holder Smith, Schroder has never been waived, only traded and signed in free agency. He may wear out his welcome with teams, but his next team still gets excited to add him.

There's no reason to think Schroder won't thrive backing up Coby White in Charlotte, and also no reason to be surprised if the Hornets trade Schroder to a team who needs a guard at the deadline. That's just how it goes for Schroder.