Dennis Schröder Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacific Notes: LeBron, Schröder, Holmes, Nader

April 28th, 2021 at 7:55pm CST by Arthur Hill

Lakers star LeBron James could be back on the court next week, a source tells Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register. The source has received reports from James’ workouts and said he has shown progress in his rehab from a high-ankle sprain. Goon lists possible return dates as Monday against the Nuggets, next Thursday against the Clippers or next Friday against the Trail Blazers.

Goon’s story echoes a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski over the weekend that James was close to returning. He has been sidelined since suffering the injury in a March 20 game.

Coach Frank Vogel told reporters there’s still no firm date for James to start playing again. He also refused to speculate on whether James will be used in back-to-back games for the rest of the regular season.

“He’ll tell me when he’s ready,” Vogel said. “He and the medical team will tell me when he’s ready. They’re having conversations about it each day. They’re monitoring his progression each day, seeing where he’s at and when he’s ready to play, he’ll play.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Lakers guard Dennis Schröder is playing in his 58th game tonight, which moves him closer to a couple of contract bonuses, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN. He will be eligible to receive a $250K bonus if the Lakers make the NBA Finals and another $250K if they repeat as champions. Schröder must play in at least half of the team’s postseason games to receive the money.
Kings center Richaun Holmes is campaigning for a spot on the All-Defensive Team, writes Jordan Ramirez of NBA.com. Holmes is valuable on both ends of the court, averaging 1.6 blocks per night and ranking second in the league in field goal percentage at 64.4%. “I just want to show the type of player that I am, just show that I’m one of the best two-way players, just show that I’m deserving of the All-Defensive Team and just continue to show (what I can do),” Holmes said. “I want to continue to get better on the floor and just let my numbers and things of that sort prove my case.”
Suns forward Abdel Nader is out indefinitely after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee this week, tweets Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.

Los Angeles Notes: Schröder, LeBron, Zubac, Cousins

April 27th, 2021 at 5:46pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Starting Lakers point guard Dennis Schröder has played particularly well as of late, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Schröder has been the single most important element of the team’s offense without All-Stars LeBron James or, until recently, Anthony Davis, per Jovan Buha of The Athletic. As the team’s lead ball-handler without James, Schröder has taken on more of the scoring and passing burden.

“He had to,” Davis said. “But he’s been playing huge for us, since I’ve been back and when I was out, figuring it out for us while still keeping us afloat and in the mix.”

Schröder has averaged 17.4 PPG and 7.8 APG across the 20 games since James’s injury, making a push for a lucrative new contract ahead of his upcoming unrestricted free agency. The 27-year-old has reportedly turned down an extension offer from the Lakers in the range of $80MM+ over four years.

There’s more out of Los Angeles:

Lakers All-Star forward LeBron James posted what must be a tantalizing missive to L.A. fans recently, per Kyle Goon of the Orange County Register. A black-and-white video featuring James enacting a layup drill in Dallas was accompanied by a promising quote: “Coming soon to a city near you.” James has been sidelined with a high-ankle sprain since March 20, and the Lakers officially remain cagier than James himself has been, sticking with the “indefinite” line in addressing his availability.
Clippers center Ivica Zubac has delivered in his new role as the club’s starter with Serge Ibaka injured, writes Mirjam Swanson of the Orange County Register. A back injury has kept Ibaka on the shelf since March 14. Zubac’s play has been one reason why L.A. boasts a league-best 18-4 record since Ibaka’s last game as starter — there’s a chance Ibaka may have lost his starting slot for good.
Veteran Clippers center DeMarcus Cousins is comfortable with his firmly-established position in the pecking order for his new team (the fourth and final California club to have signed him), tweets Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times. Cousins is the third center on the team, behind Zubac and Ibaka. The well-traveled former four-time All-Star praised the club’s “one of a kind” culture and organization.

Dennis Schröder On Knicks’ Radar For Offseason

April 13th, 2021 at 11:27am CST by Luke Adams

After being linked to a number of point guards leading up to the trade deadline, the Knicks ultimately didn’t address the position. However, they’re expected to revisit the point guard market in the offseason, and Lakers veteran Dennis Schröder is one player on their radar, writes Ian Begley of SNY.tv.

Schröder is in the final year of his current contract and has reportedly turned down a four-year extension offer worth $80MM+ from the Lakers. That’s a strong indication that he’ll be seeking at least $20MM per year in free agency.

As Begley observes, the Knicks should be able to open up in excess of $50MM in cap room this summer, though it remains to be seen how aggressive the team would be with Schröder. The team will be considering other point guard options as well, including Lonzo Ball of the Pelicans, according to both Begley and Marc Berman of The New York Post.

Unlike Ball, who will be a restricted free agent, Schröder will be unrestricted, meaning the Knicks wouldn’t have to worry about their offer being matched if they get a commitment. However, the Lakers will likely be very motivated to re-sign their starting point guard — even if Schröder walks, the Lakers will be over the cap next season, meaning they wouldn’t be able to easily add a comparable replacement.

After a career year in Oklahoma City in 2019/20 (18.9 PPG on .469/.385/.839 shooting), Schröder’s numbers this season are more in line with his career rates. He has averaged 15.3 PPG, 5.3 APG, and 3.5 RPG with a .432/.338/.848 shooting line in 50 games (31.7 MPG) for the Lakers.

Lakers Notes: Gasol, Drummond, Schröder, Fans

April 3rd, 2021 at 9:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Marc Gasol is wondering about his future with the Lakers now that Andre Drummond has been added on the buyout market, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Drummond was given a starting job right away and Gasol was moved to the bench, which already has reigning Sixth Man of the Year Montrezl Harrell filling the backup center minutes.

“I think there’s an ‘if’ — ‘if’ they need you. And it’s a big ‘if,'” Gasol said. “You’re not Plan A right now. You’re Plan C, D. … You have to accept it because that’s your job. And that’s what you sign up to do. It’s never easy to accept that.”

The situation is resolved temporarily with Drummond sidelined by a torn nail on his right big toe. Gasol returned to the starting lineup and played 28 minutes in Friday’s win over the Kings. After the game, he spoke to reporters for the first time since Drummond was acquired and indicated that he’s not thinking about a buyout.

“Things can change quickly in the NBA, just as they have changed for me,” Gasol said. “But, I’m committed to this team. It’s a hard pill to swallow because I know I’m going to be out of the lineup at some point. It’s never easy on a player. As a basketball player, you want to play. You want to contribute, especially when you made that commitment for that reason. But, we’ll see.”

There’s more Lakers news to pass along:

Drummond only played 14 minutes in his first game with the Lakers before suffering the injury, but he seemed to be a good fit with his new team, observes Jovan Buha of The Athletic. Coach Frank Vogel was planning to have him play “starter” minutes, even though it was his first game in a month and a half. “I mean, if you saw the first couple minutes of the game that I was out there, just the energy defensively that I brought, and it kind of boosted everybody on both ends of the court,” Drummond said.
“In the Summer i will sign,” was Dennis Schröder‘s response in an online exchange with a fan who demanded that he sign an extension with the Lakers, relays Harrison Faigen of Silver Screen and Roll. Schröder doesn’t specify that he will stay in L.A., but the comment reinforces his desire to test free agency once the season is over.
The Lakers are hoping to start welcoming fans to the Staples Center beginning April 15, tweets Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated.

Latest On Dennis Schröder’s Contract Situation

March 30th, 2021 at 3:54pm CST by Luke Adams

3:54pm: Marc Stein of The New York Times hears from two sources that Schröder has turned down extension offers in the range of $80MM over four years.

1:54pm: Discussing his contract situation last week, Lakers guard Dennis Schröder strongly hinted that he intends to reach free agency rather than signing an in-season extension, noting that he wants to see his options on the open market. In today’s episode of his Hoop Collective podcast, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst confirmed that Schröder and the Lakers appear unlikely to agree to a deal prior to free agency.

“From what I understand, they’ve had contract talks and they couldn’t agree to an extension,” Windhorst said. “The maximum he can sign for (during the season) is four years, $84MM. … What I have been told – and this is rumor is pretty widely out there, so I doubt this is very surprising – is that the Lakers did indeed offer him that $84MM over four years.

“Now, this is where we get into gray area,” Windhorst continued. “Was it fully guaranteed? Was it partially guaranteed? Were there incentives? I don’t know. But I believe he was offered a contract in that realm and he said no to it.”

Windhorst’s caveats are important. If the Lakers’ offer to Schröder included a non-guaranteed final season or a significant amount of incentives, it’s not nearly as strong as that reported $84MM figure suggests.

Even if the Lakers’ offer was fully guaranteed, there are reasons to believe that Schröder would pass on it for now. Malcolm Brogdon and Fred VanVleet signed deals in the four-year, $84MM range in the last two years, and Schröder’s 2019/20 production compared favorably to what those players did in their contract years (his numbers have dipped a little in ’20/21). If the Lakers are prepared to offer his maximum in-season extension amount, it stands to reason they might be willing to go a little higher once he officially reaches free agency.

Additionally, since Schröder signed his current deal as a rookie scale extension with Atlanta in 2016, he has never gotten a chance to experience free agency. So even if he feels the Lakers’ offer is fair, his comments about wanting to explore his options indicate that he wants to go through the process at least once.

As Windhorst reiterated on the Hoop Collective podcast, the Lakers were readily offering Schröder in pre-deadline trade discussions for Kyle Lowry, an indication they aren’t necessarily locked into the 27-year-old as their long-term point guard. However, letting Schröder walk in free agency won’t open up any cap room for Los Angeles, so the team will be motivated to either get something done with him or get something back in a sign-and-trade.

Lakers Notes: Drummond, Schröder, Davis, Gasol

March 26th, 2021 at 11:14am CST by Luke Adams

After a quiet trade deadline, the Lakers will shift their focus to the buyout market, according to Mark Medina of USA Today, who takes a closer look at the team’s pursuit of big men such as Andre Drummond and LaMarcus Aldridge.

While a Thursday night report from Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports confirmed that the Lakers will get an opportunity to talk to both players, Aldridge is believed to be leaning toward the Heat, according to multiple reports. If so, the Lakers figure to zero in on Drummond, and executives around the league believe L.A. is the frontrunner to land the big man after he finalizes a buyout with Cleveland.

Appearing on ESPN’s Keyshawn, JWill & Zubin Show on Friday morning (video link), ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that a number of Lakers players have already been making an effort to recruit Drummond, who could potentially slide right into a starting role in Los Angeles.

Here’s more on the Lakers:

Lakers guard Dennis Schröder strongly hinted that he plans to reach free agency rather than signing an in-season extension, telling reporters on Thursday that while he wants to stick with the Lakers, he also wants to “see my options” (Twitter link via Bill Oram of The Athletic). A Thursday report stated that the Lakers and Schröder remain far apart in extension negotiations.
While he didn’t specifically confirm Shams Charania’s Thursday report that said Anthony Davis (calf) will miss at least two more weeks, head coach Frank Vogel said last night that Davis is “still a ways away,” tweets Medina.
Upon returning to the Lakers this week, Marc Gasol detailed his recent bout with COVID-19, admitting that the virus seriously affected him, as Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register writes. “I had a little bit of headaches, but I’m like, ‘Well, hopefully I’m going to be pretty much asymptomatic,'” Gasol said. “And then when it hits you, it hits you really hard, at least for me.”
The Lakers allowed fans into Staples Center for the first time on Thursday night, albeit on a small scale. The team received permission from local health officials to have 50 fans in the arena, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

Lakers Rumors: Lowry, Schröder, THT, Caruso, Gasol

March 25th, 2021 at 7:40pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Lakers were open to dealing point guard Dennis Schröder and longtime wing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for veteran Raptors guard Kyle Lowry ahead of today’s trade deadline, but were resistant to including ascendant shooting guard Talen Horton-Tucker in a deal, according to Jovan Buha and Bill Oram of The Athletic.

Buha and Oram note that Schroder, KCP, and “some draft compensation” were being discussed in exchange for the six-time Toronto All-Star. Los Angeles team president Rob Pelinka apparently balked at including Horton-Tucker, a promising 20-year-old second-year combo guard.

The Lakers continue to negotiate a possible long-term contract extension with starting point guard Schröder, currently earning $15.5MM in the last season of an expiring four-year deal, but remain far apart in those talks. The 27-year-old veteran is hoping to net at least $20MM annually, according to Buha and Oram, who note that this price tag contributed to the front office being open to moving Schröder in a deal for Lowry.

The Lakers’ willingness to trade valuable two-way swingman Caldwell-Pope appear to be about prioritizing re-signing Horton-Tucker and point guard Alex Caruso during the 2021 offseason. A league source tells Buha and Oram that both players could garner deals worth the full mid-level exception, which projects to be worth more than $9.5MM next season.

With Schröder now sticking with LA through the trade deadline, sources tell Buha and Oram that the club hopes to re-sign the point guard this summer, too.

The Lakers currently still have two open roster spots, and are going to use the buyout market to acquire new additions heading into the home stretch of the season. Los Angeles appears to be one of the top finalists in the race to acquire 27-year-old Cavaliers center Andre Drummond, a two-time All-Star, once he finalizes his expected buyout with Cleveland. In addition to a veteran center, Buha and Oram anticipate that the Lakers will seek a defensive-oriented free agent swingman for their other available roster position.

In other Lakers news, starting center Marc Gasol will be back on the court for the injury-depleted club tonight against the Sixers, Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times tweets. The veteran big man will only be allowed to play about 15 minutes tonight during his first game action this month, after being placed in the NBA’s coronavirus-related health and safety protocols.

Trade Rumors: Lowry, Knicks, Ball, Suns, Nuggets

March 25th, 2021 at 1:19pm CST by Luke Adams

Kyle Lowry‘s future is the focus around the NBA right now, Shams Charania said on Stadium’s live trade deadline show on Twitter.

According to Charania, the Raptors remain seriously engaged with the Heat and Lakers, having been offered packages headed by Duncan Robinson (Miami) or Dennis Schröder and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (L.A.). Toronto is pushing for the inclusion of Tyler Herro or Talen Horton-Tucker in any deal with the Heat or Lakers, says Charania.

Charania adds that the Heat are believed to be Lowry’s preferred destination.

Here’s more from around the league:

The Knicks have remained engaged with the Pelicans today about a possible Lonzo Ball trade, per Ian Begley of SNY.tv. New York is also receiving inquiries on center Mitchell Robinson, according to Begley, though it’s not clear if the team is open at all to moving Robinson.
As of earlier this afternoon, the Suns weren’t close to making any deals, and all signs pointed to them standing pat at the deadline, tweets John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7.
The Nuggets are likely done dealing after agreeing to trades for Aaron Gordon and JaVale McGee, tweets Mike Singer of The Denver Post.

Lakers In Mix For Kyle Lowry?

March 24th, 2021 at 2:28pm CST by Luke Adams

After mentioning the usual suspects – the Heat and Sixers – in his look at potential Kyle Lowry suitors during today’s Woj & Lowe Trade Deadline Special on ESPN, Adrian Wojnarowski offered up an interesting wild-card trade destination for the Raptors guard. According to Wojnarowski, the Lakers shouldn’t be ruled out as a possible suitor for Lowry.

While the idea of Lowry teaming up with LeBron James and Anthony Davis in Los Angeles for a Lakers team looking to defend its title is a fascinating one, it will be tricky to make a deal work.

To match Lowry’s $30.5MM salary, the Lakers would almost certainly have to include two veteran rotation players from the trio of Dennis Schröder, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Montrezl Harrell. That lines up with a report from Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, who says (via Twitter) that the Lakers became open to discussing those three players in trades as of Monday night.

If the Raptors are moving Lowry though, it’s probably safe to assume it won’t be for win-now veterans like Schröder, Caldwell-Pope, and Harrell. At least one of Talen Horton-Tucker and the Lakers’ 2027 first-round pick would also presumably need to be included to get Toronto’s attention.

While a deal along those lines could technically work, it’s hard to find a combination that makes sense for both teams. As such, Lowry ending up with the Lakers is probably a long shot unless perhaps they can get a third team involved.

Los Angeles’ other team also reportedly has interest in Lowry, but matching the point guard’s cap number and offering up enough assets to pique Toronto’s interest would be a major challenge for the Clippers as well.

Pacific Notes: Schroder, George, McNair, Gasol

March 19th, 2021 at 7:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Dennis Schröder wants to stay with the Lakers but there’s still a good chance he’ll test the free agent market this summer, according to Kyle Goon of the Orange County Register. Schroder likes his current situation, stating, “I want to be a part of this organization for a long time.”

However, Schroder has yet to sign an extension, even though he’s eligible for one. Schroder admits he’s conflicted, knowing the Lakers’ salary situation and the fact they can go over the cap to retain him in unrestricted free agency.

“So, we’re kind of, between these: Should we just sign the extension? Or should we wait until the summer? Because at the end of the day, I want to be a Laker for a long time,” he said. “I always say I want it to be fair.”

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Clippers forward Paul George has drawn a $35K fine from the league for criticizing the officials to the media after a loss to Dallas on Wednesday, according to an NBA press release. George said of some non-calls, “We’re putting a lot of pressure at the rim. It’s insane that we’re not getting these calls.” He also characterized the officials’ explanations for the lack of whistles as a “bunch of lies,” according to ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk.
Kings GM Monte McNair has the final say in personnel moves as the trade deadline approaches, Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee reports. Ownership will be consulted, but McNair will be the one making roster decisions and related basketball moves, Anderson adds. However, it’s worth noting owner Vivek Ranadive has to sign off on any major deal, so the Kings organization may be trying hard to downplay Ranadive’s involvement in basketball operations.
Lakers center Marc Gasol remains under the league’s health and safety protocols but he’s out of isolation, Goon writes in a separate story. He still has a “few steps to clear” before he’s allowed to play, coach Frank Vogel said. Gasol hasn’t played since February 28.