That eerie silence surrounding the Boston Celtics’ transaction wire this offseason–minus the minor blip of signing Enes Kanter to a veteran’s minimum deal–could result in an explosive tail end of free agency as teams put the final touches on their transformed rosters.
President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens did his damage before the season even ended, acquiring Al Horford in a blockbuster deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder for the since-released Kemba Walker. Acquiring Josh Richardson and Kris Dunn were the sort of around the fringe moves that conclude an offseason.
But this offseason has had one (supposed) top-line name get squeezed out of all the free agency dollars. And that could lead said name to Boston if the planets align.
That would be none other than Los Angeles Lakers floor general Dennis Schroder. According to Keith Smith, a Cs-Schroder union is on the table:
Here's what a source told me on the Celtics and Dennis Schroder: Both sides have interest. Boston is interested in only a short-term deal, ideally one year. Schroder is still looking for more money than the Celtics can offer and/or a longer deal.
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) August 6, 2021
The two sides are far apart now, but this could go in a number of different directions. It’s likely Schroder’s price tag won’t grow too exorbitant because of the limited financial means the Cs have to acquire him, although if Stevens really wants him, things could get unpredictable.
HH is exploring all the possibilities, and dishing out the potential pros and cons:
Pros of Dennis Schroder signing with the Boston Celtics
Scan the market right now. There aren’t a ton of great options outside of Dennis Schroder. The German floor general might be the only point guard worth exploring as a potential addition to the starting lineup. Other options are second-stringers at best.
Schroder took the load off of LeBron James in Los Angeles last season, providing just under six per game. He would be the lead assist man on the Boston Celtics based on last season’s output.
Schroder has been known to flirt with 20-point per game season-long scoring numbers, and he’ll have the keys to the offense with two premium scoring threats in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Alongside Marcus Smart and Al Horford in the starting lineup, Schroder would see open looks himself in an offense predicated on ball movement.
The prospect of adding him for the MLE was something previously unforeseen due to the salary demands Schroder had. Originally asking for more than $84 million, he may settle for over 8x less if he ends up in Boston.
That’s a perfect scenario for Stevens and new head coach Ime Udoka. They’d get a great value on a guy who’d have a chip on his shoulders looking for that big payday in 2022.
Who knows? Maybe his fit with the Cs could make it hard to let him go and he ends up sticking in Boston long-term.
Cons of Dennis Schroder signing with the Boston Celtics
It’s almost never a good sign when a free agent sticks on the market this long…especially after there were rumors of a potential life-changing payday being turned down by said free agent.
Clearly, teams around the league don’t see Dennis Schroder the same way he and his agent do, and that is making him look a little foolish at this point in time considering the fact that just about every opportunity to get paid has had the door closed.
The team that last had him’s sister site, Lake Show Life, wasn’t exactly enthused by his efforts, particularly shooting the ball.
Per LSL’s James Francuz:
"…it is difficult to not note that Schroder was not exactly the most reliable shooter from downtown this season. While he shot a career-best 38.5 percent from long range last year, he converted just 33.5 percent of his treys this time around. Needless to say, that is a five percent differential, which is nothing to take lightly. The Lakers in general were inconsistent from three-point territory in 2020-21, and more was expected from Schroder in this department."
Poor shooting and no lack of confidence (evidenced by how much value he puts on himself) could lead to a point guard that shoots with reckless abandon to the point of disrupting the offense. His poor postseason performance is a cautionary tale, as is his desire to get paid.
There are risks of bringing on a potentially disruptive locker-room presence, especially to a locker-room not known for stability the past several years.