The Los Angeles Lakers have done enough throughout the negotiations with Dennis Schroder!
There were red flags immediately shown soon after the Lakers acquired Dennis Schroder for Danny Green and a 1st round pick last offseason. Not about the deal (Amazingly the team saved money on their salary cap!) but the desires Schroder took to the media.
- First, he made it clear that he wanted to be the starting point guard.
- Then he stated even though he wanted to be a Laker for a while, he wanted a fair deal.
Lake Show Life is well aware that the NBA is a business. Most of our free agent features break down what the team is facing with potential signings, current or future. But isn’t kind of strange a player comes to a championship team making demands? At any rate, it seems that before this rough patch, the Los Angeles Lakers made Dennis Schroder their priority.
Check out the timeline that goes back to three days AFTER the season started!
Christmas Day:
First on Christmas Day, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski dropped a “Woj Bomb” on the first level of contract negotiations between the Lakers and Dennis Schroder.
"The Los Angeles Lakers have begun engaging with starting point guard Dennis Schroder in contract extension talks, and those discussions are expected to pick up again as soon as mid-February, sources tell ESPN. Before the start of the season, Schroder turned down an initial Lakers offer to extend his contract for an additional two-years and $33.4 million, sources said — an overture that represented the maximum allowable offer the Lakers could make him prior to February 16."
Then ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported Schroder turned down an $84 million extension on his Hoop Collective podcast.
"The most that Schroder can extend for under his current contract is four years, $84 million. What I have been told is the Lakers did indeed offer him that $84 million over four years … and he said no. He said no to that extension. And subsequently the Lakers offered him in trade for Kyle Lowry."
No one on the Lake Show Life staff bought the fact that Dennis Schroder, Montrezl Harrell or Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was going anywhere for reasons laid out before the trade deadline.
There were many in Lakers Nation that were upset that Rob Pelinka did not make a deal for Kyle Lowry. For numerous reasons, this was the right decision.
But check out Adrian Wojnarowski’s insight on what the Lakers have to deal with to make Schroder a part of their long term future on the Woj Pod…
"“The Lakers are interesting because I think the Lakers are looking a little bit down the road too at their salary structure,” “Dennis Schroder, they’ve got to pay him this offseason. It’s going to cost well over $20 million a year to keep him.” “I do think they would like to free up some of that money they owe down the line to put themselves in position to keep the guys they have there. I think that’s kind of at the center of some of their talks here around the trade deadline.”"
Schroder is in a contract year and it’s clear he wants to bet on himself and test his value in free agency. Plus he reportedly not closed the door on a possible return to the Lakers.
But let’s assume the front office CAN’T come to terms and make a deal. Lake Show Life has come up with options for the Los Angeles Lakers and what could be done as “backup plans” in case Schroder does not return.
Let’s take a look at three plans the Lakers should have in place in the event that Dennis Schroder does not stay in L.A. this offseason.