Can the OKC Thunder move Dennis Schroder this season?
By Rylan Stiles
Can the OKC Thunder find a trade partner for Dennis Schroder before this year’s trade deadline?
As the one player series moves along down the stretch of the offseason we nearing the end with one of the last in the series. That is right, we are at Dennis Schroder island. With the OKC Thunder shipping off Paul George and Russell Westbrook this summer, and a tough first month of the season ahead, their playoff streak is looking like it will come to an end. Therefore, the boys in blue have little to no use for the 26-year-old point guard.
A year ago, the backup floor general took 14 shots per game on 29 minutes per contest. This preseason, in four games, Dennis took 29 field goals. The fear around Schroder is that on a non-contending team he will revert back into a “chucker” and really hinder the development of the youth movement.
Aside from all of that, Dennis Schroder will not be coming off the books until 2021. The backup point guard is owed 15.5 million this season and next. He is the Thunder’s fourth-biggest cap hit, and the 20th highest paid point guard in the league.
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Dennis Schroder does not fit the Oklahoma City timeline and is not a part of the future plans for the organization. So can the team find a way to move him?
While this is not a pressing issue, unless he becomes a huge detriment to the team, moving him to get Shai Gilgeous-Alexander some more minutes as the lone ball handler would be huge.
What is Dennis Schroder’s trade value? That is still up in the air. While I do not think it will net anything of note, the team should not have to part ways with assets to get off of Schroder’s contract.
Dennis Schroder’s value would skyrocket if we see a key injury to a contending team’s backup point guard.
One bonus question, if you want to view this season from a Dennis Schroder is on the team all year standpoint: How does Billy Donovan use him?
When all of the teams PG’s were available this preseason (Chris Paul, Dennis Schroder, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) Billy Donvan just started all three of them. Was that a move strictly for exhibition play? Or something he might try throughout the regular season? How does Schroder mix into the ball-handling rotation?
Would you trade Dennis Schroder ASAP? What do you think his value is? Let us know in the comment section below.