Los Angeles Lakers: 4 back-up point guards to pursue in free agency

2. Dennis Schroder

Dennis Schroder is someone who the Los Angeles Lakers could sign to back up Russell Westbrook or could sign to have him start for the team next season. It is more likely that they would sign him if Westbrook is traded but who knows, the team could plan on cutting Westbrook’s minutes entirely and instead give them to Schroder.

Schroder is not any better than Westbrook in terms of overall talent but you could make an argument that the Lakers would be better giving him minutes. Heck, the 2020-21 team was better (although much different). Schroder may not be a perfect player but he at least adapted some to playing with LeBron and AD and didn’t demand a high usage rate like Westbrook.

We know that Rob Pelinka has no problem bringing back former Lakers as he brought back several former players this past offseason. Schroder is one of several former Lakers that Pelinka could bring back this offseason and is perhaps the best.

There is a chance that Schroder gets more than the league minimum but he didn’t really do much during the 2021-22 season to increase his value. All he got last offseason was the Taxpayer MLE worth $5.9 million and he was then traded from Boston to Houston, where he did not do much of anything.

At least the Lakers would not be paying him $21 million as part of a four-year, $84 million extension. But then again, then the team probably would not have traded for Russell Westbrook, so maybe it actually hurt the Lakers that Schroder turned down that money.