Dennis Schroder has not had a good time since he infamously turned down a $84 million contract extension from the Lakers in the midst of the 2020-21 season. He caught flak from all sides, including us here at Ballers PH.

He first signed up for a $5.9 million dollar contract with the Boston Celtics, and was then traded to the Houston Rockets before the trade deadline. Now, he finds himself back where the craziness began after joining the LA Lakers for the veteran’s minimum of $2.6 million. 

Before the season begins, he’s already facing an obstacle, as he’s set to miss three to four weeks of action after getting surgery done on his thumb.

It’s still wild to think about how his fortune has changed, but it’s one of those cautionary tales that should be in the heads of anyone who is not a top-tier superstar. There are a lot of things that can happen in between then, from injuries, bad fits on other teams, and more. 

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To be fair, Schroder was a good sport after he signed with the Celtics last season, and he deserves credit for coming back to a team like the Lakers, where the lights shine brightest and players are held under extra scrutiny. He’s recently hinted that he never received the extension, but how he behaved after signing for the Celtics seems to acknowledge that he missed out on something.

He’s still only 29 years old, and a strong season this year could help him regain some more money, and I’m now rooting for him solidly, even if I personally dislike the Lakers. There’s one heck of a logjam at point guard now with Russell Westbrook, Schroder, Patrick Beverley, and Kendrick Nunn all available to play the role, along with Austin Reaves in case of emergency.

The German may find it hard to find his fit in the rotation again after a month of recovery, especially if the Lakers start the season off strong behind a healthy LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Time will tell if he’ll get solid minutes, but for now, I hope he recovers quickly from the surgery.

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