Dennis Schröder wanted to stay with the Nets long-term. His family was finally settled in Brooklyn after the Toronto Raptors dealt him at last season’s trade deadline. He emerged as a true leader in the locker room and was playing the best basketball of his career.
But general manager Sean Marks had other plans. Schröder did not fit the Nets’ rebuilding timeline. The team wanted to stockpile future assets and add intriguing young talent, so the 31-year-old was traded to the Golden State Warriors with a second-round pick for De’Anthony Melton, two-way guard Reece Beekman and three unprotected second-round picks.
Schröder averaged 18.4 points and 6.6 assists across 23 games with Brooklyn this season while shooting 45.2% from the field and 38.7% from 3-point range. At the time, he was one of seven guards who averaged at least 18 points and five assists while shooting at least 45% from the field, 35% from deep and 85% from the free throw line. That production has been missed.
The Nets’ first game without Schröder was against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Dec. 16, an embarrassing 130-101 loss at Barclays Center. And since he was dealt to the Warriors, Brooklyn’s once fun-to-watch offense has sputtered, going from an offensive rating of 113.1 (22nd) to 104.5 (25th).
With the Warriors, Schröder was expected to step in as another backcourt scorer to help maximize the team’s championship window, to contribute at a high level for a championship-contending team. That hasn’t exactly worked out. He has averaged just 9.8 points, 2.2 rebounds and 4.8 assists over his first 12 games with Golden State. The Warriors are 19-18 entering Friday’s games and 5-7 since Schröder arrived.
Schröder’s fit with the Warriors was always questionable. He went from being arguably the best guard on Brooklyn’s roster to another cog in Golden State’s machine. The Warriors are Schröder’s ninth NBA team, and according to some, he could be on the move again ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline.
Earlier in the week, CBS Sports revealed a list of trade candidates around the league and Schröder was listed in tier 5, reserved for players in situations that are simply not working.
The NBA is a tough business, even for high-value trade target such as Schröder, and the grass is not always greener on the other side.
“The Warriors landed Schroder hoping he could be their secondary scorer,” CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn wrote. “Instead, he’s shooting 31.3% from the floor and Golden State is just [5-7] since acquiring him. Don’t be surprised if the Warriors try to flip Schroder elsewhere for a better-fitting role player or aggregate his salary with a few other players to get a big name.”