Losing Fred VanVleet for nothing in free agency instead of trading him away for draft assets could not have been an easy pill to swallow for the Toronto Raptors franchise. VanVleet has been a staple of the franchise for years, and it was difficult to argue that his de facto replacement, Dennis Schroder, was an upgrade. But the 30-year old showed out for Germany during their run to winning the gold medal in the 2023 FIBA World Cup, even winning tournament MVP honors, turning a lot of heads in the process.

Even new Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic, who had worked with Schroder in the past back when they were members of the Oklahoma City Thunder organization (from 2018 to 2020), is amazed by how much the German point guard has improved through the years. Rajakovic praised Schroder's growth as a leader, which will be instrumental in bringing out the best in the Raptors' youngsters.

“He’s matured so much. He was great when I had him in OKC but he’s on a completely different level [now],” Rajakovic said, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN. “Even today in practice, he did such a good job of talking to his teammates, talking to young guys, explaining, making sure they’re in the right spots.”

Dennis Schroder, per Lewenberg, has been one of, if not the hardest working player on the Raptors roster this summer despite shouldering a heavy workload during the 2023 FIBA World Cup. He's been the last player to depart the gym, raring to make an impact for a team that not too many believe can make some noise next season.

And it's been quite the journey for Schroder to get to this point. Back in the 2020-21 season, the presumptive Raptors starting point guard refused to sign a huge extension with the Los Angeles Lakers, forcing him to settle for a prove-me deal with the Houston Rockets the very next season. That did not work out. Schroder wasn't a good fit both with the Rockets and the Boston Celtics, which forced him to sign an even smaller contract with the Lakers in 2022.

Now, Dennis Schroder is back, and, if Darko Rajakovic's words are any indication, better than ever — which is something Raptors fans will take delight in hearing.