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The Los Angeles Lakers and the rest of the NBA were surprised when Dennis Schroder turned down an $84 million deal this past season. The Boston Celtics might be able to pick up Schroder for a bargain-basement price, not even needing a middle-ground package if the market continues to cool off for the point guard.
Behind-the-scenes chatter suggests this is within the realm of possibility, though not particularly likely at this point.
Bleacher Report said Schroder and the Celtics have communicated with each other. This certainly has the feel of an exploratory conversation rather than an advanced stage of negotiations between a player and a team.
The Celtics have their mid-level exception slot still available, but that would be for a little more than $5 million per year. Schroder just turned down a $21 million-per-year deal from the Lakers, so the math and the circumstances don't create a great fit.
The only thing keeping Schroder in the ballpark for the Celtics is that if he is desperate and isn't getting anything from other teams in the free-agent marketplace, Boston might be the “least bad” option, as opposed to the best and most impressive one.
Schroder has not read the market well. He had an inflated sense of his own worth as a player, and he obviously thought that what he did with the Lakers was going to be viewed with a lot more respect and admiration around the NBA. The Celtics and the rest of the league are going to watch closely for any indication that Schroder is willing to settle for a lesser deal. If the price tag isn't too hefty, Schroder is a solid depth piece who can eat up minutes and perform point guard duties with considerable competence.
The ultimate drama revolves around Schroder's insistence on fighting for the best possible deal, measured against his acceptance of the reality that he misplayed his cards and is ready to submit to a deal with a lot less money than he initially hoped for.
Will the Celtics or Lakers get him? That's an interesting question. Will they get him at a very affordable rate? That is an especially important question.
