It isn’t all sunshine and rainbows for the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency.
Lakers guard Dennis Schroder has decided to leave the team, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Friday. Schroder is signing a two-year, $26 million deal with the Toronto Raptors (the full non-taxpayer’s mid-level exception).
The Raptors needed a new starting point guard, as longtime starter Fred VanVleet just left for a team in the West. Schroder, one of the top available guards remaining, should adequately fill that need for them.
The 29-year-old was a crucial part of the Lakers rotation during their run to the Western Conference Finals this past season. He averaged 12.6 points and 4.5 assists per game, hitting momentum-swinging threes, drawing timely free throws and playing sneakily-good defense. Schroder also sank a clutch corner triple that helped the Lakers win their play-in tournament game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
LEBRON FINDS SCHRODER.
— NBA (@NBA) April 12, 2023
LAKERS TAKE THE LEAD.
1.4 seconds left on TNT! pic.twitter.com/i2NfANyC1w
Fortunately for the Lakers, the blow of Schroder’s departure is softened by the addition of another talented guard in free agency. On top of that, they just signed a pair of athletic wings in Taurean Prince and Cam Reddish.
Schroder, himself, gets a nice new check to recoup some of the money that he fumbled during his previous foray into free agency.
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