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Lakers Rumors: Magic Johnson doesn’t think Dennis Schroder is a Laker

ByRonald Agers|
June 24, 2019; Los Angeles, CA, USA; NBA former player Magic Johnson poses with his lifetime achievement award at the 2019 NBA Awards show at Barker Hanger. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
June 24, 2019; Los Angeles, CA, USA; NBA former player Magic Johnson poses with his lifetime achievement award at the 2019 NBA Awards show at Barker Hanger. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The Lakers rumors started (Checking watch!) about 24 hours after the Los Angeles Lakers got smoked out of the playoffs by the Phoenix Suns. Magic Johnson went on the radio to blast Dennis Schroder’s commitment to the Lakers winning mentality.

Well, it seems that Los Angeles Lakers writers never get a day off…even in the offseason. Even if the Lake Show isn’t playing basketball, they will somehow make news that shouldn’t be written off as clickbait.

For the second time in three years, Magic Johnson sent Lakers Nation in a tailspin with his comments to the media. Back in 2019, he resigned from his post as President of Basketball Operations 45 MINUTES before the Lakers’ final regular-season loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.

Remember when he went on ESPN’s First Take and basically went “Scorched Earth” on Rob Pelinka and the entire Lakers organization the EXACT DAY Frank Vogel was hired as head coach?

If Lakers fans remember those times, it should be no surprise when he sent all of his frustrations to the doorstep of Dennis Schroder on the radio…the next day!

"“Schroder — I don’t think he’s a Laker,” Johnson said. “That’s just my opinion. I don’t know if they’re gonna sign him back or not. I don’t think he brings the winning mentality and attitude that we need.“He had a chance to show that in this series. And to me, he failed in this series.”“If he comes back a Laker, I’m gonna support him, I’m gonna cheer for him and all that,” Johnson continued. “I just don’t think he’s a Laker.”"

Please forgive the Lake Show Life staff when we all collectively cross our legs, light a cigar and wait for the casual fans that chased Dennis Schroder’s box scores in Oklahoma City to comment after basically cyberstalking any writer that criticized his inconsistent play. See the receipts could last longer than this article, but here are a few…

What set Magic off? Granted the Lakers rolled over and played dead when Anthony Davis injured his groin, but the player that the Lakers wanted to be the third option was horrible as the second option.

Shaquille O’Neal could have been talking about Dennis Schroder or maybe not. But this does fit the description of…”Not being a Laker”.

  • He shot 40 percent from the field with averages of 14.3 points, 2.8 assists and 1.7 turnovers.  
  • How about that 3-13 shooting performance in Game 4 for 8 points. Can’t get much worse than that right?
  • Wrong…he shot 0-9 and scored the same amount of points as this writer hitting the keyboard and any reader that took time to read it in Game 5. 
  • That was the offensive end. Let’s talk defense. He combined to allow Chris Paul to control the series with one arm, Devin Booker to attain superstar status for most of the series and Cameron Payne, who was six feet from playing overseas to look like an NBA player! 

Besides, none of those players walked into the locker room demanding to start and a max-level contract. Actions that frustrated some members of the Lakers organization according to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. 

Also, the Lakers reportedly  DID include Schroder in trade discussions with the Toronto Raptors at the deadline in an effort to acquire point guard Kyle Lowry because Schroder turned down multiple contract extension offers from the organization. Schroder eventually stayed as the Lake Show Life staff thought he would.

Here’s where the Lowry situation gets cloudy. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported on his The Hoops Collective podcast that Schroder held up on signing the extensions because of the trade rumors.

"“So, what I have been told and this rumor is pretty widely out there so I doubt this is very surprising, is that the Lakers did indeed offer him that $84 million over four years,” “Now, this is where we get into [a] grey area. Was it fully guaranteed? Was it partially guaranteed? Were there incentives blah blah blah? I don’t know, but I believe he was offered a contract in that realm, and he said no to it. He said no to that extension, and subsequently, the Lakers offered him in a trade for Kyle Lowry.”"

Schroder made it a point to say that wasn’t the case in the player’s exit zoom meetings and said there were no hard feelings. Now, you the reader have the option to choose if Brian Windhorst’s plans with Dennis Schroder are valid ESPECIALLY after his quotes above. Just look at the panel as he speaks…

According to the millennial generation and how Richard Jefferson reacted, Dennis Schroder making social media changes allegedly removed “PG for the Los Angeles Lakers from his Instagram bio immediately after getting run out of the Staples Center is not very professional.

He averaged 15.4 points, 5.8 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game during the regular season and is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

Where are the Los Angeles Lakers as of right now?

Dennis Schroder said after Game 6 that he hopes to return to the Lakers next season. If the Lakers can’t get a sign-and-trade deal done, the Lakers may have to kick the can down the road and re-sign him.

They are so far above the salary cap (LeBron, AD, Kuzma and KCP eat up $102 million of the cap!) that they would have issues signing a decent replacement if he did leave.  Plus Alex Caruso (He’s staying!), Wesley Matthews and Talen Horton-Tucker (Oh he’s staying!) also bound for free agency, the Lakers are at risk of losing most of their backcourt talent in a single offseason.

That’s how the Lakers rumors news cycle stands as of this posting. Stay tuned to Lake Show Life for plenty more. Eight potential free agents on the roster, it’s guaranteed there will be plenty.

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