The Los Angeles Lakers have signed guard Dennis Schröder, it was announced by Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Rob Pelinka. Per team policy, the terms of the deal were not released, although it is reported to be a one-year contract for the veteran’s minimum.
This marks a return to L.A. for Schroder, who played for the Lakers in 2020-21 but did not return after turning down an extension in the middle of the season to test free agency.
Schroder had previously hinted at returning to the Lakers and running it back with LeBron James earlier this summer, and now he gets his wish.
“We are extremely pleased to welcome Dennis Schröder back to the Lakers,” said Pelinka. “Not only do Dennis and Coach Ham share a player-coach history together, but they also reflect one another’s mentality of toughness with an extremely competitive edge. Dennis will add both depth and an on-ball defensive presence to our core at the guard position. He is also a proven scorer and playmaker. We are really excited for Dennis to get to camp and get back to work in L.A. after his highly successful run with his national team this offseason.”
After seeing his value decrease significantly over the last year, Schroder returns to the Lakers seemingly humble and ready to contribute in whatever fashion Ham asks of him:
At just 29 years of age, Schroder still has a lot left in the tank and can give the Lakers some playmaking, dribble penetration and defensive intensity.
The Lakers have a crowded backcourt though as Schroder will be battling for minutes with Russell Westbrook, Patrick Beverley, Austin Reaves, Kendrick Nunn and Lonnie Walker IV as currently constructed.
Schroder does have a familiarity with not only Ham but also James and Davis though, which will certainly figure into the equation going into training camp.
Westbrook coming off the bench?
In lieu of the Schroder signing, it was also reported that Ham is considering bringing Westbrook off the bench this season.
While it may make some sense basketball-wise, getting Westbrook to buy into a bench role behind Beverley or Schroder will be a tough task for Ham. The Lakers are still believed to be involved in trade talks for Westbrook though, so nothing is yet set in stone with a little more than a week until the start of training camp.
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