It wasn’t shocking to see the Boston Celtics trade Dennis Schroder at the NBA trade deadline, it was just shocking to see who President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens got in return for him.
Daniel Theis is back in Boston after Schroder was packaged with Enes Kanter Freedom and Bruno Fernando and sent to the Houston Rockets.
Hardwood Houdini’s own Cesar Fuentes had a hunch that Schroder could be flipped to Houston for Theis in some form, so kudos to him.
But the rest of us? That wasn’t expected in the slightest.
Now, the Cs are loaded, having made a move for Derrick White as well. Payton Pritchard, Grant Williams, and Aaron Nesmith weren’t part of the transaction frenzy, so they’ll be joined by the aforementioned acquisitions in the second unit assuming Ime Udoka sticks to the status quo with his starting five.
But what about Schroder? He still has value to a contender but is on a team so far from that label it’s upsetting.
Hardwood Houdini sees these five teams having interest in the German floor general should he hit the buyout market:
The Los Angeles Lakers reconsider signing Dennis Schroder after Boston Celtics stint
Apparently, the Lakers didn’t want Dennis Schroder back before he signed with the Boston Celtics last summer.
They must certainly be willing to reconsider that after a quiet deadline and struggles in the 2021-22 season that threaten their standing in the Western Conference postseason picture post-NBA Play-in tournament.
Schroder may not have thought he was a poor fit with LeBron James and Anthony Davis before, but he better reconsider that train of thought considering Los Angeles was still willing to offer him over $80 million last offseason.
Phoenix takes a flyer on a point guard proven alongside Chris Paul
The 2019-20 Oklahoma City Thunder were a pretty damn good team that almost had no right to be. Chris Paul was traded for Russell Westbrook in a move that many thought would make the Houston Rockets a contender, but the Thunder almost upset them in the bubble postseason.
It’s funny how Paul is guiding a young contender on the Suns while Westbrook is now struggling alongside two top 10 players with the Lakers. Most certainly unexpected to say the least.
Schroder is likely better off backing up the former in Phoenix than losing with the Lakers some more.
The Los Angeles Clippers give Dennis Schroder a spotlight
Los Angeles was in seller mode during the trade deadline, but they may still be looking to contend for a postseason spot and could be willing to hand Dennis Schroder a minimum contract to bolster the team in the interim.
With Norm Powell and Robert Covington on board, and Reggie Jackson, Terance Mann, and Marcus Morris still healthy, this team can still make a top seed sweat. Schroder would make squads sweat more if he were signed to L.A.’s higher-seeded team.
The Milwaukee Bucks register buyout interest after Boston Celtics trade talks
Before Thursday’s NBA trade deadline, the most popular Dennis Schroder rumors revolved around a potential swap with the Milwaukee Bucks involving Donte DiVincenzo. DiVincenzo ended up with the Sacramento Kings, who kept busy themselves, acquiring Domantas Sabonis while shipping out the likes of Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield, and Marvin Bagley.
Even though the Bucks found an alternative outlet to ship DDV off to, Schroder could remain on their radar if/when the Houston Rockets rip the band-aid off and cut ties with a guy who makes no sense on their roster.
The Miami Heat are an intriguing destination for Dennis Schroder as the #1 seed
The Miami Heat figure to give ball-handling duties in the second unit to Tyler Herro when he returns, assuming he doesn’t get shifted into the starting lineup in favor of P.J. Tucker.
But they could hand Dennis Schroder those duties while giving him a chance to be a featured playmaker on a team that has the capability of making an NBA Finals run. Watch out for the Heat, who opened up a roster spot by trading KZ Okpala to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Schroder sweepstakes.