Dennis Schroder is set to join the Los Angeles Lakers who have agreed in principle with the Oklahoma City Thunder to acquire the German guard. The 27-year-old is undoubtedly a good addition to the purple and gold although there are questions on his sincerity and willingness to play for the Lakers.
Before word got out that the 6-foot-1 guard would be soon joining the Lakers, Schroder mentioned he was not coy of joining Los Angeles. He said he was happy with the Oklahoma City Thunder and appeared ready to remain with his current team for the 2020-21 NBA wars. Unfortunately, it was a call not his to make.
In return, the Thunder will get Danny Green and their selection at no. 28 in the 2020 NBA Draft. Things could have been easier if the Lakers were allowed to simply trade Green and the pick to the Thunder. But with a league role prohibiting teams to trade first-round picks in consecutive years, the Lakers will have to pick a player and then complete the deal with the Thunder, ESPN reported.
Mood in LA at the Schroder news pic.twitter.com/KI61FqEBlK — Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 15, 2020
Los Angeles sent its No. 4 overall pick in 2019 to the New Orleans Pelicans as part of the Anthony Davis trade.
While the impending arrival of Schroder addresses the point guard woes of the Lakers, it may also indicate that Rajon Rondo and/or Avery Bradley will not be returning to Hollywood next season. Both players are expected to opt-out of their final year with the Lakers and check the free-agent market once allowed.
Even at 34, Rondo has proven that he is still a force to reckon with. He played a pivotal role in the Lakers NBA title drive last season. But with only a $2.6 million on the table, the two-time NBA champion is expected to fetch more than that from other teams. A club reportedly interested in him is the Los Angeles Clippers.
As for Bradley, opting out raises some questions. The 29-year-old guard was not part of the team that participated in Los Angeles in the NBA bubble and did not exactly have an impressive season. He would have made $5 million had he opted in with the Lakers for next season.
Bradley recently switched player agents and is now under Charles Briscoe. Briscoe is the same person managing Dwight Howard. It remains to be seen which team would pick him up for the 2020-21 NBA season.
