There’s now a decent chance that the Boston Celtics will deal veteran point guard Dennis Schroder ahead of the February NBA trade deadline.
Shams Charania of The Athletic reports that other teams believe Schroder will be put on the block. The reasoning? Boston’s status as a bottom-end contender and the fact that it likely won’t be able to re-sign Schroder during the summer.
If Schroder is in fact dealt, there’s going to be a ton of interest in his services. He’s earning just north of $5 million this season. The veteran is also playing well, averaging 17.5 points and 4.9 assists on 45% shooting. Below, we look at four ideal trade scenarios.
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Dennis Schroder trade to the Los Angeles Clippers
- Clippers get: Dennis Schroder
- Celtics get: Keon Johnson, Justise Winslow, two second-round picks
Despite the Clippers playing good basketball without Kawhi Leonard (ACL) in the mix, it’s readily apparent that they need help at point guard. Reggie Jackson has played more off-guard with Eric Bledsoe in the mix. The latter has struggled to the tune of 41% shooting from the field while averaging just north of nine points per game.
The idea here would be for Los Angeles to get a stopgap option at point guard. It is in the same position in that the team won’t be able to re-sign Schroder in free agency. But with the Clips at 15-12, a win-now move makes sense.
In return, Boston adds a 2021 first-round pick to the wing position as well as two future second-round selections. That’s not a bad bounty for a player the team will lose for nothing this coming summer.
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Dennis Schroder trade to the Brooklyn Nets
- Nets get: Dennis Schroder
- Celtics get: Cameron Thomas, Jevon Carter, second-round pick
The Nets’ situation alters dramatically should Kyrie Irving have a change of heart and get the COVID-19 vaccine. Recent reports suggest that there’s a scenario in play in which he returns to action for Brooklyn. Until that happens, there’s going to be some need from a depth standpoint.
Schroder would come in and split time with Patty Mills at point guard. He can also play the off-guard spot in a pinch.
As for the Celtics, they acquire a high-upside rookie in Thomas who averaged 23.0 points as a freshman for Tennessee last season. The first-round pick has tremendous scoring ability and could end up being a part of the Celtics’ future in the backcourt.
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Dennis Schroder trade to the Denver Nuggets
- Nuggets get: Dennis Schroder
- Celtics get: Nah’Shon Hyland, Facundo Campazzo
Noticing a theme? We have the Celtics adding young players to the mix in Schroder trade scenarios. The idea here is simple. These players could either be a part of their future or used in an off-season blockbuster trade. It’s all dependent on what president Brad Stevens wants to do. In Hyland, they acquire a 21-year-old guard who is surprisingly averaging 8.3 points for the injury-plagued Nuggets.
Speaking of Denver and its injuries, the team is barely staying afloat with Jamal Murray (ACL) still sidelined. While the Nuggets expect him back for a playoff push, they need to actually be in position to compete for a postseason spot in the first place. Bringing in Schroder and his scoring ability would help big time in this regard.
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Dennis Schroder trade to the New York Knicks
- Knicks get: Dennis Schroder
- Celtics get: Kevin Knox, first-round pick
The Kemba Walker experiment has proven to be a downright failure for the disappointing Knicks. Now that he’s out of the reotation, New York is relying on Alec Burks to start in front of Derrick Rose. That’s not a recipe for success for a Knicks squad that has struggled big time recently. Bringing in Schroder would change the dynamics in a big way.
Unlike other hypotheticals, Boston goes with a first-round pick as the centerpiece in a Schroder trade. This selection comes via the Dallas Mavericks and could potentially be a mid first-round selection. It’d be more assets for Stevens to use during the summer.