Dennis Schröder "communicates" his demand for a $100-120 million contract in NBA free agency: Does his performance justify the paycheck?
LA Lakers point guard Dennis Schröder recently made NBA news after a German basketball official suggested that the point guard is expecting a deal close to $100-120 million in free agency.
Having played for a historic franchise like the Purple and Gold, Schröder's talent was on display on an international platform. It isn't far-fetched to say that other teams will look to target him in free agency.
Armin Andres, Vice President of the German Basketball Federation, recently spoke about Schröder and how he is expecting to get a handsome paycheck in the offseason.
TalkBasket.net reported on Andres' comments, writing:
"...the point guard (Dennis Schröder) is expecting to a deal in the range of $100-$120 million. Andres mentioned the fact is the reason why Schröder is not representing Germany this summer as the burden of insuring his future contract of that value is too big on DBB."
According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, Dennis Schröder turned down a four-year $84 million extension offered by the LA Lakers earlier this year. At the time, many speculated that the player wanted to join a new team because he removed the Lakers' name from his Instagram biography. However, it appears he wants to test the free agency market with a bigger deal.
Does Dennis Schröder deserve a $100-120 million deal in free agency?
Dennis Schröder provides his team with energy and sets the tone for each game. He bothers opposing guards and takes pride in forcing turnovers. He is great at on-ball and off-ball defense and is always looking to grab a steal.
Schröder's speed and agility are ideal for a full-court press as he can get into the comfort zone of any point guard he defends, disrupting the opposition's offense.
Dennis Schröder was originally signed by the LA Lakers to replace Rajon Rondo but was later given a starter role. The 27-year-old initiates the offense alongside LeBron James and often brings the ball up the court.
A widely overlooked part of Dennis Schröder's game is his playmaking. He averaged 5.8 assists this season with the LA Lakers, 1.8 higher than last season and just 0.5 shy of his career-high dimes in a season. On April 8th, he dropped a season-high 14 assists against the Miami Heat.
Dennis Schröder is a one-of-a-kind player who sacrifices his body to help his team in every game. He draws charges, dives first on the hardwood for loose balls and chases down the opposition to break up a transition opportunity.
Dennis Schröder also put in spectacular performances every time he went up against a great point guard this season.
Until February 5th, whenever Schröder was the primary defender, Stephen Curry, Luka Doncic and John Wall were held to 0 points. Meanwhile, James Harden, Jamal Murray, Trae Young and D'Angelo Russell were held to one field goal made on 3+ attempts each.
In a league where high-scoring guards and three-point shooting are the norm, having someone like Dennis Schröder on your team is a huge advantage.
Out of the 50 qualified point guards in the NBA, Schröder ranks 36th in PER and 22nd in Usage Rate.
Besides fulfilling his defensive duties efficiently, Schröder also contributes 15+ points a night on offense. He averaged 15.4 points per game on 43/33/84 shooting splits for the LA Lakers this season. He attempts 3.5 threes a game and makes 1.2 of them.
While Dennis Schröder's 15.4 point per game average is his lowest in the last five years, it is important to note that he wasn't asked to score on this Lakers team. If asked to do so, he can certainly drop 18 to 20 points per game.
On March 3rd, with LeBron James and Anthony Davis both sidelined, Schröder dropped 28 points on 11-20 shooting from the field against the Sacramento Kings.
Dennis Schroder will earn $15.5 million this season and will become a free agent in the offseason. Given his unique skillset and the fact that he gives his 100% in every game, it isn't far-fetched to say that a team will offer him $100-120 million in the offseason.
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