OKC Thunder: Talking myself into Dennis Schroder

With the OKC Thunder ending the saga of Carmelo Anthony via the trade to Atlanta the potential for another occurs with the arrival of Dennis Schroder.

The OKC Thunder have officially cut ties with Carmelo Anthony, rather than paying him to go away OKC dealt Melo to Atlanta in a cost-cutting move. The deal does not come without risk as OKC takes back Dennis Schroder in the deal. The other Atlanta player included (Mike Muscala) was immediately sent to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot.  Thunderous Intentions detailed specifics of the three-team deal here.

Does the risk outweigh the reward?

The reason Atlanta was ready to move on from Schroder are vast. In February, 2017 Schroder vacationed in his native Germany during the All-Star Break. The point guard failed to report back on time missing two practices. This resulted in a one game suspension without pay.

Raising greater concern was the incident that occurred on September 29, 2017 when Schroder was arrested following an altercation outside an Atlanta establishment. Schroeder was subsequently charged with misdemeanor battery although felony charges could still be issued as per USA Today.

"However, according to court records uncovered by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, DeKalb County Assistant Solicitor-General Tommy McNulty has asked the district attorney’s office to charge Schroder and three other defendants with felonies for “maliciously” injuring the victim. “The victim’ s medical records … indicate that the victim suffered a torn meniscus and a torn Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL),” the letter stated, according to the Journal-Constitution. “These injuries require multiple surgeries and extensive rehabilitation. As such, this case should be handled by the District Attorney’s Office.”"

Ultimately Schroder became expendable when the Hawks (who are in a rebuild) drafted point guard Trae Young who’ll replace Schroder in the starting rotation.

Schroder’s demands wore thin:

Schroder gave the Hawks the ability to move on from an aging Jeff Teague. The exit between the Hawks and Teague was rocky due to Schroder’s desire to be the starter. The Hawks were tasked with the difficult situation of publicly choosing who would lead their franchise, Teague or Schroder? In the end, Teague went to Minnesota to run with the Wolves and Schroder continued soaring with the Hawks.

After Schroder gave the team yet another ultimatum his time in Atlanta has come to an end. In May Schroder held a news conference in his native country of Germany. During the conference, Schroder revealed he planned on meeting with the Hawks to gauge the direction the franchise is going in.

Considering the moves the Hawks made on draft night and throughout the offseason, it signals a total rebuild. Schroder added he wants to play for a team going in the right direction, such as the Bucks or Pacers. The OKC Thunder are definitely going in the right direction so that could be one of the few bright spots of adding Schroder for OKC.

With that, let’s dive into player specifics and why the deal could turn sour for Oklahoma City.