Dennis Schröder is back in Southern California.
The Los Angeles Lakers announced on Friday that the point guard had returned to the franchise with his signature social media slogan: “That’s Tuff” with a fire and “100” emoji.
The deal is for one year worth $2.64 million, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
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Schröder, who joined Los Angeles via trade from the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2020, stayed only one season with the team. That year he had averaged 15.4 points, 5.8 assists and 3.5 rebounds on a 44-34-85 shooting split across 61 games as the team’s starting point guard.
Since he was going to be entering free agency that summer, the Lakers reportedly offered him a four-year, $84 million extension that he turned down in hopes of securing a more lucrative deal when testing the waters.
That plan eventually backfired for the 29-year-old guard from Germany, as he settled for a one-year, $5.9 million deal with the Boston Celtics instead after no offers came his way. Schröder played just 49 games for the C’s until he was traded to the Houston Rockets during last season’s trade deadline.
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Now back in Los Angeles as a late free agent signing, Schröder joins former Oklahoma City teammate Russell Westbrook and newly acquired Patrick Beverley in what is now a crowded backcourt. And that’s before mentioning Kendrick Nunn, who the Lakers signed using its mid-level exception last season, but injuries prevented him from making an appearance all year.
New head coach Darvin Ham has plenty to sort out going into the new campaign, but he now has more ball handlers at his disposal who can relieve the playmaking burden off of LeBron James’ shoulders.
