The Los Angeles Lakers made quite the splash on Friday after they announced the signing of free-agent guard Dennis Schroder as their latest backcourt addition. Schroder is now set to return to LA on a one-year deal after suiting up for the purple & gold in 2020-21.
According to NBA insider Shams Charania of The Athletic, however, Schroder actually had s couple of other choices before he decided to rejoin the Lakers. Apparently, he decided to turn down offers from the Phoenix Suns and the Toronto Raptors (h/t The Rally on Twitter):
“Dennis Schröder was deciding between a few teams: the Lakers, the Raptors, as well as the Phoenix Suns, I'm told,” Shams said. “But he decided to sign with the Lakers on a one-year, $2.6 million deal. A couple of years ago he played for the Lakers, he turned down a major extension, but now he returns and he brings competitiveness (and) more depth in their backcourt. This is a guy that played at a very high level just now for Germany in EuroBasket, led them to the semi-finals.”
"Dennis Schröder was deciding between a few teams, the Lakers, the Raptors, as well as the Phoenix Suns, I'm told."
NBA Insider @ShamsCharania reports on Schröder agreeing to a one-year deal with the Lakers. pic.twitter.com/yxN7jpZoAa
— The Rally (@TheRally) September 16, 2022
Shams was also quick to point out that Schroder has been in the playoffs in seven out of his nine seasons in the NBA — a fact that proves how “battle-tested” the 29-year-old is. Moreover, he was the starting point guard for the Lakers the last time they went to the playoffs in 2021.
Thanks to his eye-popping EuroBasket campaign with Germany, Schroder was able to demand the attention of a handful of NBA teams. He eventually decided on returning to the Lakers to reunite with LeBron James and Co., but as Shams reports, Schroder could have actually picked either the Suns or the Raptors as well. Sounds like Dennis Schroder was a wanted man.
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