The grass isn’t always greener on the other side.
Free agent point guard Dennis Schroder is seemingly having a tough time with the fallout from his decision to decline the $84 million extension the Lakers offered him in March.
“I think he’s in a state of shock because of what he’s done,” a source told the Boston Herald’s Mark Murphy about how Schroder feels months after his choice.
The 27-year-old was dealt to Los Angeles from Oklahoma City last offseason. He excelled in his starting role with the Lakers and worked well alongside veterans LeBron James and Anthony Davis. However, Schroder thought he could work out a bigger deal.
When the free agency window opened on Aug. 2, teams didn’t gravitate toward Schroder as expected — and the Lakers wasted no time trading for point guard Russell Westbrook from the Wizards, along with a slew of veteran stars, closing the door on a possible Schroder return.
Although the market for starting point guards is slim, the 6-foot-3 point Schroder may find a temporary home in Boston, following Kemba Walker’s departure to the Knicks.
“The Celtics have pitched Schroder the idea of backing up Marcus Smart next season,” but, “he needs time,” following the “shock” of his Lakers fallout, according to the Boston Herald.
On Tuesday, NBA reporter Jordan Schultz reported that Boston offered Schroder a one-year deal at the taxpayer $5.9 million mid-level exception. However, Schroder reportedly wants the full MLE, which is $9.5M, and a second-year player option. The Celtics don’t want to be pressed to exceed the cap, Schultz reported.
