As it currently stands, the Los Angeles Lakers have one open roster spot to fill either with a converted two-way contract or in free agency. There is also the potential for the Lakers to trade more players away than they receive in future deals to open up roster spots as well.
Regardless, there are not many more additions the Lakers can make this summer and there is one former disappointing Lakers who is pounding the table to give it a second go in Los Angeles.
Dennis Schroder, who infamously turned down a four-year, $84 million contract only to become a league-minimum player this upcoming season, wants to run it back with LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers next season. He alluded to such in an Instagram comment to King James himself.
The comments section of Dennis Schroder’s IG post this morning… pic.twitter.com/OPkMV82ec5
— Daniel Starkand (@DStarkand) July 19, 2022
The last time we saw Schroder in the purple and gold was the 2021 NBA Playoffs against the Phoenix Suns. Schroder had to step up and be the second-best player on the Lakers with Anthony Davis getting hurt and he didn’t do that at all.
Schroder averaged 14.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game in that playoff series. His shooting was atrocious as he shot 40% from the field and 30.8% from beyond the arc. All that being said, Schroder still makes sense on paper for the Lakers.
Los Angeles needs a true backup point guard regardless of it they have Russell Westbrook or Kyrie Irving starting next season. Heck, there is even the possibility that Patrick Beverley is in the starting five and having Schroder behind him is not the worst outlook.
There simply is not enough room on the Los Angeles Lakers for Dennis Schroder, though.
While Schroder seemingly makes sense on paper, as it stands right now, the Lakers do not have the roster spots to make this happen. If the team wouldn’t have guaranteed Max Christie’s contract and instead optioned him to the G League (which is where he should be) then they would have more flexibility.
However, with only one roster spot as it stands right now, it is really hard to justify bringing Schroder in after the Summer League that Cole Swider had. This Lakers team desperately lacks three-point shooting and Swider was the best shooter in the Summer League.
He is a legit deadeye that gives the team wing depth. His role on this team would be far more important than Schroder’s. More importantly, his development as a young player is much more important for the greater good of the franchise.
Perhaps something can open up if the Lakers trade away three players and get two players in return in any sort of Westbrook salary dump. But that is the only way that it makes sense to use a roster spot on Schroder, even if he makes some sense from an Xs and Os standpoint.
A realistic Russell Westbrook trade with the Knicks the Lakers can offer
The Los Angeles Lakers are rumored to work out a trade with the New York Knicks involving Russell Westbrook. Here is what it could look like.
But hey, maybe it is a good thing that the Lakers do not have the means to bring Schroder back. The last thing we want is Rob Pelinka to fall back in love with him and offer him another contract that is way over his value.