Dennis Schröder Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Lakers Notes: Pelinka, Schröder, Centers, Kidd

June 6th, 2021 at 10:57am CST by Arthur Hill

When a defending champion gets knocked out in the first round of the playoffs, it usually means changes are coming, but Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka hopes to keep the core of this year’s team intact, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Injuries played a large role in L.A.’s downfall this season, with LeBron James and Anthony Davis both missing long stretches and being less than 100% for the playoffs.

The Lakers will have eight free agents this summer and possibly nine if Montrezl Harrell turns down a $9.7MM player option. Pelinka indicated that he will try to re-sign most of those players and said the front office is committed to paying the luxury tax to keep the team in title contention.

“I’m convinced that, again, without some of the unforeseen circumstances this year, the challenges that we had to face, that we’d be a championship-caliber team,” he said. “So the goal is to try to keep that core group together.”

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At Friday’s exit interviews, Dennis Schröder made it clear that his decision to turn down an $84MM extension during the season wasn’t in retaliation for being part of trade talks involving Kyle Lowry, McMenamin adds. Schröder has expressed a desire to return to the Lakers, but he will see what offers are available in free agency. “I didn’t decline the extension because I was in trade talks,” he said. “I own a (basketball) team in Germany as well. I try to run my organization in Germany as fair as possible, but end of the day, it’s still business. … That’s what Rob did as well. He told me the story. He listened to it. It wasn’t even right by the trade deadline, but he talked to them to see. … I would listen to offers as well. … You don’t know what you can get, and you see what your options are.”
Finding a dependable center should be the focus of the Lakers’ offseason, states Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. They installed Andre Drummond as their starter after signing him in March, but he wasn’t used in Thursday’s close-out game. Marc Gasol signed a two-year contract during the offseason, but his role diminished significantly after Drummond was added.
With three NBA head coaching jobs now open, Frank Vogel said he believes Jason Kidd deserves another shot, according to Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register. The Lakers’ assistant is Damian Lillard‘s first choice to take over the Trail Blazers and may be a candidate for other teams. “Jason has become one of my closest friends, you know, really a trusted advisor on my coaching staff and someone that has just been integral to our success in the last two years,” Vogel said. “He should be at the top of everybody’s list that has an opening in the NBA.”

Lakers Notes: Davis, LeBron, Schröder, Free Agents

June 4th, 2021 at 8:33am CST by Luke Adams

Although Lakers big man Anthony Davis was cleared to return for Game 6 vs. Phoenix, he clearly wasn’t himself on Thursday night, leaving the game for good midway through the first quarter due to his strained groin. According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link), Davis’ injury didn’t get any worse on Thursday, but his pain intensified whenever his mobility was tested.

“It never really felt good, but the competitive nature in me wanted to go out there and help the team as best as I could,” Davis said following the loss that ended the Lakers’ season (Twitter link via Mark Medina of USA Today). “My body didn’t agree.”

The Lakers’ loss on Thursday ended a season of “what ifs” for the franchise, according to Bill Oram of The Athletic. After flying out of the gates to a 21-6 start, the team dealt with lengthy injury absences to its two stars (Davis and LeBron James), while other key players were affected by COVID-19 (Marc Gasol and Dennis Schröder). Los Angeles never regained its early-season momentum. After winning 21 of its first 27 games, the club won just 21 of its next 45 to finish the regular season, then was eliminated in short order in the playoffs.

It was the first time in LeBron’s 18-year career that he has been knocked out in the first round of the postseason, and while the four-time MVP was disappointed with the loss, he’s looking forward to taking full advantage of a longer offseason. According to Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link), James suggested after Thursday’s game that he won’t participate in the Tokyo Olympics this summer.

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Dennis Schröder reportedly turned down a four-year extension worth over $80MM earlier this year, but he said on Thursday that his desire to remain with the Lakers remains strong and is “not even a question,” as Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times details. “It wasn’t about money, because everybody who knows me, it’s not about money either,” he said. “Of course, you want to be fair. But at the end of the day, not everything is about money — for me and my family. At the end of the day, if everything is good, we gonna come back and win a championship next year.”
Sources tell Ramona Shelburne of ESPN that some people in the organization were frustrated by Schröder’s play on the court this season, prompting the team to include him in trade talks for Kyle Lowry at March’s deadline.
The Lakers will have to determine which players are their top priorities in free agency, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Insider link), who notes that Schröder is just one of several rotation players up for a new contract. Alex Caruso, Talen Horton-Tucker, Andre Drummond, and Markieff Morris are among those headed for unrestricted free agency, and Montrezl Harrell could join them by declining his $9.7MM player option.
The Lakers need to upgrade their supporting cast around LeBron James and Anthony Davis this offseason, but don’t have a ton of tools at their disposal to do so, says John Hollinger of The Athletic. The club projects to be over the cap and has already traded multiple future first-round picks.
Asked after Thursday’s loss about his history of injuries, Davis replied, “I don’t need to prove anything to anyone that’s outside this Lakers organization,” per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. However, Bill Plaschke of The Los Angeles Times argues that Davis’ health and James’ age are growing concerns for the franchise.

Lakers Notes: Davis, LeBron, Schröder, Kuzma, Caruso

May 31st, 2021 at 2:43pm CST by Luke Adams

Lakers star Anthony Davis is reportedly considered unlikely to play in a pivotal Game 5 on Tuesday due to a strained groin. But even if they’re missing their second-leading scorer and frontcourt anchor, the Lakers remain confident in their ability to hang with the No. 2 Suns, writes Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times.

“There is plenty of confidence that we have now without AD. That’s not even a question for anybody in the locker room,” center Marc Gasol said on Sunday.

“It’s just gonna be more opportunity for (LeBron James) and obviously we need more guys to step up,” head coach Frank Vogel said. “Not one other guy, but everybody. It’s gotta be a group effort. We need contributions from everyone, and we did have a stretch like this where we played without AD that we’ll draw on to take us into Game 5 if AD’s not available.”

As Jovan Buha of The Athletic writes, the Lakers had a winning record (19-17) without Davis this season, including an 11-7 mark in games that James played and Davis didn’t. The club may have also discovered an effective Davis-less lineup in Game 4, as LeBron, Gasol, Wesley Matthews, Alex Caruso, and Dennis Schröder were a plus-six in seven minutes. All five of those players can make outside shots and are solid defenders, Buha observes.

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James is prepared to shoulder a heavier workload and more responsibilities if the team is missing Davis for the next game or two, as Mark Medina of USA Today relays. “These shoulders were built for a reason,” LeBron said on Sunday. “If it takes for me to put some more on top of it, then so be it. Win, lose or draw. I’m ready for the challenge.”
Rival executives expect the Lakers to shake up their roster a little if they don’t make it past the first round of the playoffs, says Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report. Dennis Schröder will be perhaps the most important free agent worth monitoring — L.A. probably can’t afford to lose him for nothing, so re-signing him or working out a sign-and-trade will be a priority.
Within the same Bleacher Report story, Fischer cites sources who say that the Lakers discussed potential Kyle Kuzma trades with teams at the deadline in March. Prior to Spencer Dinwiddie‘s ACL injury, Los Angeles inquired about a swap involving the Nets guard and Kuzma, according to Fischer.
There’s a sense among Lakers officials that Alex Caruso has enjoyed playing alongside LeBron and will be interested in re-signing with the team in free agency this summer, reports Fischer.

L.A. Notes: Clippers, Davis, Schröder, Drummond

May 26th, 2021 at 10:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Clippers insist they’re not worried about their current predicament, even though they’re halfway to a first-round loss that could be franchise altering, writes Mirjam Swanson of The Orange County Register. Calmness was the message repeated by players and coaches after dropping two games to Dallas on their home court.

“No worries,” guard Reggie Jackson said today in a Zoom session with reporters, echoing the sentiments of his coach, Tyronn Lue, who stated, “I’m not concerned.” Although the Clippers remain confident, they may be stuck with a bad matchup. With Kawhi Leonard and Paul George having to supply so much of the team’s offense, it’s difficult for them to also guard Luka Doncic, who is averaging 35.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 9.0 assists in the first two games of the series.

“They feed off it tremendously,” Jackson said. “When (Doncic) looks like he’s having fun, they’re all cool, calm and collected. We’ve got to figure out a way to rattle him, rattle the head of the snake first and then let everybody else kind of get rattled as well.”

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John Hollinger of The Athletic considers possible steps that Clippers owner Steve Ballmer might take if the team is eliminated in the first round. Those could include front office changes, trying to trade for a rim protector or possibly dealing George. The team also faces the prospect of losing Leonard, who is expected to opt out of his contract this summer.
After a disappointing Game 1 performance, the Lakers‘ Anthony Davis made a statement with 34 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks in the Game 2 win over the Suns. Davis’ outburst began with a spirited practice session Monday, according to Chris Haynes of The Athletic. “We knew AD was locked in and we expected this performance,” Jared Dudley said. “You could see it in him these last few days.”
The Lakers also got a lift from Dennis Schröder and Andre Drummond, who will both be free agents this summer, writes Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. Schroder poured in 24 points, while Drummond contributed 15 points and 12 rebounds. “Dennis was in attack mode from the very beginning,” LeBron James said. “… And I thought big Dre was amazing in the minutes he had. … He was just very decisive with his play tonight and I think it’s his sixth playoff game, maybe six or seven, that he’s had in his career, so he’s going to continue to get better and better.”

Free Agency Rumors: Holmes, Hardaway, Powell, More

May 18th, 2021 at 2:52pm CST by Luke Adams

Kings center Richaun Holmes is expected to be a sought-after free agent this offseason, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, who spoke to a number of league personnel members about the 2021 FA class. Fischer’s sources suggested that a four-year, $80MM deal wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility for Holmes.

“I think everyone’s going to be chasing him,” one team analytics staffer told Bleacher Report.

The Kings figure to make an effort to re-sign Holmes. General manager Monte McNair referred to the big man today as “an integral part of the team,” as James Ham of NBC Sports California tweets. And Ham himself made the case that retaining Holmes should be Sacramento’s top priority.

However, since the Kings only have Holmes’ Early Bird rights and don’t project to have a huge chunk of cap room, their ability to make a competitive offer may be limited if his price gets anywhere near as high as Fischer’s sources believed it could. The Hornets and Mavericks are among the other teams expected to have interest in Holmes, according to Fischer.

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One personnel evaluator who spoke to Bleacher Report referred to Mavericks wing Tim Hardaway Jr. as “one of the best pure scorers in the league,” and won’t be surprised if he receives another lucrative multiyear deal now that his four-year, $71MM contract is set to expire.
That same personnel evaluator said he believes Trail Blazers guard Norman Powell can get $20MM annually in free agency, according to Fischer. “He’s just a guy that can play with anybody,” the evaluator said of Powell. “He doesn’t need the ball in his hands to be effective. He’s a good defender, he’s a great athlete, he gets to the rim. You can play him at the three, you can play him at the two. He’s a great character guy.”
Multiple league executives believe that Lakers guard Dennis Schröder is aiming to be paid like a top-tier point guard and that he’ll be prioritizing a starting role. The Knicks are among the teams mulling a run at him, sources tell Fischer.
League executives who spoke to Fischer identified Nets guard Bruce Brown, Knicks big man Nerlens Noel, and Lakers teammates Alex Caruso and Talen Horton-Tucker as some other under-the-radar free agents who could be in line for eight-digit annual salaries on their new deals.

Lakers Notes: LeBron, Schröder, Playoff Rotations

May 15th, 2021 at 5:30pm CST by Arthur Hill

After having to delay his return earlier this week, LeBron James was back on the court this afternoon. Playing for just the third time since suffering a high-ankle sprain March 20, James posted 24 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds in 28 minutes as the Lakers topped the Pacers to stay alive in the race for a top-six seed and a chance to avoid the play-in tournament.

Coach Frank Vogel was encouraged by what he saw out of James today, tweets Mark Medina of USA Today. “He’s looked really good,” Vogel said, adding that “obviously it’s going to take time before he gets to be 100%.”

James called today’s game “a complete 180” from the last time he tried to play, which was May 2 against the Raptors, writes Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register. His ankle stiffened up at halftime in that game, but today there was just “a tiny bit” of soreness.

“I still got some more room for improvement as far as my ankle and my mobility and my strength,” James said. “But I’m 10 times better than I was in that Toronto game and I believe I can get five-to-ten times better in the future. The more games that we have, the more opportunity that I get to really just continue to strengthen it, strengthen everything around it.”

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L.A. needs a win Sunday in New Orleans and a loss by the Trail Blazers against Denver to finish in sixth place. With the stakes so high, there may be temptation to have James test out his ankle in a back-to-back situation, but he wasn’t able to offer any clues as to whether he’ll play, Medina adds (via Twitter). “It’s up to the coaching staff and training staff,” James told reporters.
Dennis Schröder played his first game today since clearing the NBA’s health and safety protocols, but his post-game answers left reporters confused, Goon notes in the same story. Schröder said he never tested positive for COVID-19 and admitted being the only Laker who didn’t get the vaccine. “At least I can’t get it no more in the playoffs, so that’s probably the best thing,” he added. Schröder became frustrated when pressed for an explanation and refused to comment any further.
Jovan Buha of The Athletic examines the Lakers’ potential playoff rotations to determine which combinations will work best around James and Anthony Davis.

James, Davis, Schröder To Play On Saturday

May 15th, 2021 at 11:10am CST by marksuleymanov

The Lakers‘ trio of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Dennis Schröder will play on Saturday for the team’s afternoon tilt against the Pacers, head coach Frank Vogel announced.

Los Angeles has seen the aforementioned threesome all miss extended stretches as James and Davis dealt with injuries while Schröder was recently cleared from the NBA’s health and safety protocols. At 40-30, the Lakers occupy the seventh seed in the Western Conference and will need to win their remaining two games to have a chance to avoid the play-in tournament.

Schröder entered the safety protocols in early May, causing the Lakers to be without their starting point guard during a critical stretch. He has averaged 15.5 PPG and 5.8 APG across 59 contests.

Davis missed the Lakers’ last game against the Rockets on Wednesday but has otherwise been a regular for the Lakers since returning from a two-month absence due to right calf strain and tendinosis. Davis has been limited to just 34 games this season, averaging 21.9 PPG and 8.0 RPG for the defending champions.

As for James, he suffered a high ankle sprain on March 20 and returned on April 30, but then reaggravated the injury just days later on May 2. He has not played since and has seen his return pushed back on several occasions. James was in the midst of an MVP-caliber season before his injury, averaging 25.0 PPG, 7.9 RPG and 7.8 APG in 43 games.

Dennis Schröder Clears Protocols; LeBron James Questionable For Saturday

May 14th, 2021 at 1:09pm CST by Arthur Hill

Lakers guard Dennis Schröder has cleared the NBA’s health and safety protocols, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Schröder will be eligible to play in the final two games of L.A.’s regular season — Saturday at Indiana and Sunday at New Orleans — but coach Frank Vogel hasn’t decided whether to use him.

Schröder first entered the protocols on May 2, forcing the Lakers to get by without a key backcourt piece during an important stretch of the season. L.A. is currently in seventh place with a 40-30 record and will need to win its final two games to have a chance at avoiding the play-in tournament.

Schröder is averaging 15.5 points and 5.8 assists through 59 games while shooting 44% from the field and 34% from three-point range. He will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

Vogel also said “there’s a chance” LeBron James will play Saturday, McMenamin adds. James had hoped to return from his ankle injury on Tuesday or Wednesday, but had to delay it. James is officially listed as questionable. Anthony Davis is listed as probable, although he didn’t practice today.

Bulls To Target Schröder, Ball In Free Agency?

May 8th, 2021 at 2:34pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Dennis Schröder and Lonzo Ball could be potential targets for the Bulls in free agency this summer, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Appearing on ESPN’s NBA Countdown on Friday, Wojnarowski indicated Chicago will be in the market for a starting point guard (hat tip to Blake Schuster of Bleacher Report).

“Point guard is going to be at a premium for them,” Wojarnowski said.

Schröder, who is currently out due to the league’s health and safety protocols, reportedly turned down a four-year, $80MM+ contract extension offer from the Lakers. It’s likely he’ll be one of the top unrestricted free agents on the market. The Knicks are among the other teams who could potentially make a run at Schröder.

Ball’s situation is a little cloudier. New Orleans must decide whether to extend a $14.36MM qualifying offer, which would make Ball a restricted free agent. If the Pelicans do that, they’ll have the right to match any offer. Chicago’s potential interest in Ball has previously been reported, as has the Knicks’ interest.

The Bulls’ cap space this summer is dependent on their decisions regarding two players with partially guaranteed contracts (Tomas Satoransky, Thaddeus Young), restricted free agent Lauri Markkanen, and Ryan Arcidiacono ($3MM team option).

Dennis Schröder Out At Least 10-14 Days Due To Protocols

May 3rd, 2021 at 10:35am CST by JD Shaw

MAY 3: Schröder is expected to miss at least 10-to-14 days due to the protocols, sources tell Shams Charania and Bill Oram of The Athletic (Twitter link). That’s typically the timeline associated with a positive COVID-19 test, though that hasn’t been confirmed in Schröder’s case.

The regular season ends on May 16, so it’s very possible we won’t see Schröder again until the postseason.

MAY 2: Lakers guard Dennis Schröder has entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols and will miss the team’s game against the Raptors on Sunday, according to Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated (Twitter link). It’s unclear how long he’ll be sidelined.

Los Angeles just welcomed back LeBron James (ankle) after 20 games, rolling with a starting lineup of Schröder, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, James, Anthony Davis and Andre Drummond on Friday for the first time this season.

Building chemistry is imperative for championship contenders, and the loss of Schröder will hurt the Lakers’ ability to do so just weeks before the playoffs. In 59 starts this season, Schröder has averaged 15.5 points, 5.8 assists and 32.2 minutes per game, shooting 44% from the field and 34% from deep.

The Lakers own the sixth-best record in the West at 36-27 and have lost seven of their last 10 contests. They lead the No. 7 seed Blazers by just one game.