With about a week of the 2021 free agency period in the books, Dennis Schroder remains one of the prominent names still unsigned.
Schroder, who is an unrestricted free agent, has rarely been involved in free agency rumors since the market opened.
When teams like the New York Knicks who were in need of a point guard had cap space, Schroder was linked to them, but the market has dried up.
Recently, the Boston Celtics emerged as a possible candidate given the lack of point guards on the roster. However, the Celtics cannot give Schroder the salary and role he was hoping for.
Before the market opened, Schroder reportedly wanted a payday between $100-120 million spanning four to five seasons.
This came after Schroder turned down a four-year, $84 million extension from the Los Angeles Lakers during the regular season.
Since Schroder will not see that money from L.A. with Russell Westbrook and Kendrick Nunn entering the mix, Schroder reportedly is in a state of shock, according to Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald:
The Celtics await word from Dennis Schroder, the free agent point guard left out in the cold when teams went elsewhere during the spending spree over the first three days of free agency. But according to a league source, the Celtics and the former Laker agree on one thing thus far — contract length.
“He’s only interested in one year, and then getting back out there,” said the source, who added that Schroder has also run into another problem — the sudden lack of available starting point guard jobs.
The Celtics have pitched Schroder the idea of backing up Marcus Smart next season.
“He needs time — I think he’s in a state of shock because of what he’s done,” the source said of Schroder turning down a four-year, $84 million offer last season from the Lakers, who responded by trading for Russell Westbrook.
Schroder’s shooting percentages and skills during the playoffs diminished when it mattered most, but he also dealt with several inconsistent periods of playing time because of health and safety protocols.
The soon-to-be 28-year-old guard can certainly contribute on the court, but his market winding down as it has is one of the more intriguing storylines from the offseason so far.
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