Boston Celtics guard Dennis Schroder finds himself in trade rumors ahead of Wednesday, when many of the players signed from free agency this 2021 are eligible to get shipped. But it's not because Boston has been unhappy with how the point guard is performing for the team on the court.

Via Shams Charania of The Athletic:

Rival teams expect the Celtics to be open to talks around guard Dennis Schröder, who inked a one-year deal with Boston in the offseason but has had a strong season that likely prices him out of a potential re-signing. Schröder is averaging 17.5 points, 4.9 assists and 3.6 rebounds per game this season.

Schroder is arguably the third-best player right now for the Celtics. He is behind Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown in both scoring average and usage rate. Signed in the offseason by the Celtics to a one-year deal worth $5.8 million — far cheaper than the reportedly four-year, $84 million contract extension offer from the Los Angeles Lakers that he declined last season — Schroder's bet on himself could finally pay him big time in the upcoming 2022 free agency.

The Celtics could just milk an asset out of Schroder while he is still under team control than risk losing him in the offseason for nothing. Boston has six players with guaranteed contracts beyond the 2021-22 NBA campaign and four with team options by the end of the current season.