Who doesn't love a do-over? The Golden State Warriors sure did when they took a shot on Dennis Schroder last season that turned out to be a horrendous miss.
After a strong start to the 2024-25 season with the Brooklyn Nets, the Warriors were convinced Schroder could help solve their issues. He didn't. The short-lived Warriors guard showed up and averaged 10.6 points and 4.4 assists per game, shooting 37.5 percent from the field and 32.2 percent from beyond the arc in 24 games played wearing a Golden State uniform.
The Warriors went 11-13 with Schroder in the lineup. When Golden State had an opportunity to cut their losses, they took it, and that was all because of the timeliness with which they acquired him. Jake Fischer explained the nuance sufficiently in his latest drop of rumor mill intel.
Fischer wrote, "[They were] taking advantage of a fresh wrinkle in the revised labor pact which states that acquiring a player via trade by Dec. 16 makes them eligible to be aggregated again with other contracts in a subsequent move before the NBA's annual in-season trade deadline every February."
Lakers could pounce early to keep themselves alive on the trade market
The NBA insider added that even though less than 60 days passed between Schroder's acquisition and the Feb. 5 deadline, it was fair game. That allowed the Warriors to pivot to Jimmy Butler.
If Rob Pelinka wants to execute a quick strike on Dec. 15, the Los Angeles Lakers general manager would still have his options open to him after the fact. That could theoretically keep him in the trade game if a bigger fish appears in front of the Lakers before this year's NBA trade deadline.
The Warriors knew exactly what they were doing when they pushed for Schroder in this fashion. Fischer's sources 'consistently mentioned' that type of opportunism was a calculated decision for the front office in Golden State during their pursuit.
The NBA insider added this tactful approach could easily be replicated this season: "Various team executives we've consulted certainly describe it as a very feasible outcome."
Considering the Lakers' asset pool of expiring contracts, there should be reason to believe they would be one of the best candidates to try their hand at that approach. They could cash their chips in on an early maneuver, and if it is not working out, they recalibrate before it is too late.
The main goal in Los Angeles is still to put a championship contender around Luka Doncic. Skeptics would say the Lakers are still considerably short of that. Pelinka should leave no stone unturned if that is truly the case, and the belief internally.