Breaking down reformulated OKC Thunder roster following trio of trades

The reserve point man: Dennis Schroder

For the moment Dennis Schroder remains on the roster but his place within the organization is less secure given the direction the Thunder are headed. Although Schroder had great moments last season the question moving forward will be whether Presti deems it worthwhile to pay a backup point guard $15 million this season and another $15.5M next season.

The concern is how valuable Schroder is at running the bench. It’s imperative the German accepts a defined role this season because Presti needs to assess the young talent. That means he’ll need to be playmaker and ball distributor. Too often last season he elected to call his own number which meant fewer shots for his teammates.

Schroder averaged 15.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists last season and shot 34.1 percent from the perimeter. At 25 years (turns 26 on September 15) he’s entering his prime so the growth he makes this offseason could also play a role in what the team elects to do with him moving forward.

Schroder is on the smaller side for his position and sleight in build. This makes his ability to defend larger opponents limited. Although the Thunder did utilize Schroder in closing games it was playing alongside two superstars who are gone now. Therefore, it’s hard to envision him ever returning to a starting lineup but he’s a player to keep an eye on as the trade deadline approaches especially if a contender is in need of depth specifically from a backup guard.