With the 2022-23 NBA season fast approaching, the Los Angeles Lakers have signed free agent point guard Dennis Schroder, the team announced Friday. NBA Insider Bill Reiter confirms the contract is for one year, $2.64 million. A nine-year NBA veteran, Schroder previously played for the Lakers in the 2020-21 season, when he averaged 15.4 points and 5.8 assists in 61 games. After a disappointing 2021-22 campaign in which they missed the postseason, the Lakers have essentially rebuilt their entire roster around LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook, bringing in the likes of Patrick Beverley, Lonnie Walker IV, Juan Toscano -Anderson and now Schroder. . While the Lakers’ offseason goal seemed to be getting younger and more athletic, established veteran pieces like Beverley and Schroder give them more familiar merchandise heading into next season. “We are extremely pleased to welcome Dennis Schroder back to the Lakers,” Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka said in a statement. “Not only Dennis and the coach [Darvin] Hamm shares a player-coach history together, but they also mirror each other’s gritty mentality with a highly competitive edge. Dennis will add depth and defensive presence on the ball to our core at the guard position. He is also a proven scorer and playmaker. We’re really excited for Dennis to arrive in camp and get back to work in Los Angeles after his highly successful run with his national team this offseason.” Now that the Lakers have three point guards on the roster (four if you count Kendrick Nunn), questions will continue to arise about Westbrook’s future in Los Angeles. The Lakers have reportedly been shopping the struggling former All-Star for some time, and adding another point guard only adds fuel to the fire. That said, Ham said he has a plan for how to use Westbrook next season. Check the opt-in box to confirm you want to join.
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Schroder averaged 14.4 points and 4.2 assists as a starter for the Boston Celtics last season before being traded to the Houston Rockets, where he played in just 15 games. While he’s never been particularly efficient (44/34/83 career shooting), Schroder has always put up numbers, especially points and assists. He averaged 19.4 points for the Hawks in 2016-17 and finished second in Sixth Player voting in 2019-20 after posting 18.9 points and four assists per game for the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Lakers likely won’t ask Schroder to be the team’s primary playmaker, but he can certainly pack a punch off the bench for an offense that finished 22nd in the NBA last season.
