Dennis Schroder Wants to Stay in Los Angeles But…..

• Dennis Schroder says he wants to remain a Laker for a long-time.
• However, the 27-year old guard says that he wants the Lakers contract extension offer to be “fair”.
• Schroder has been eligible to sing a four-year $83.3M since February 16th.

The L.A. Lakers made a bold move by trading for Dennis Schroder during the offseason. Los Angeles gave away veteran shooter Danny Green and a first round draft pick for the talented point guard. But Schroder has an expiring contract and despite L.A. having his bird rights, there is still a chance he walks away in free agency.

Los Angeles’ title-retention bid got a big boost with the addition of Schroder. However, the Lakers weren’t just looking at the present when they dealt for Schroder. The Lakers wanted to acquire a long-time starter at point guard to run the Lake show when LeBron James finally relinquishes the throne. To do that though, the Lakers need to re-sign Schroder to a new deal, which they haven’t been able to do so far.

Despite that, Schroder has reiterated that he wants to stay in Los Angeles and that he wants to play for the Lakers for “a long time” but there’s a catch. Per Schroder:

Dennis Schroder when asked if he wants to sign a contract extension before the summer free agency begins: “I want to be a Laker for a long time … I just want it to be fair”

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) March 19, 2021

Fair can be a very vague word. But in the case of Schroder, let’s take a look at where he stands:

Schroder Turned Down First Extension Offer

Dennis Schroder reportedly turned down a two-year contract extension.https://t.co/xQ2mr1HB8i pic.twitter.com/Q7lQHMSzdu

— Lakers Nation (@LakersNation) December 27, 2020

Last December, the Lakers’ first offer to Schroder was a two-year $33.4M deal which was the maximum amount that Los Angeles could offer him prior to February 16th under the league’s CBA. Of course, Schroder turned it down as he was expected to wait for February 16th when the Lakers could offer him a longer and more lucrative deal.

With the restrictions no longer in place beginning February 16th, Schroder is now eligible for a 20% increase next season and a raise of 8% in each of the succeeding years. That would translate to a four-year $83.3M extension which is roughly worth $20.7M per annum but February came and passed by without the Lakers and Schroder reaching an agreement or announcing a progress in their discussions.

Nothing has been heard from both camps, except that Schroder bought a house in Los Angeles after the February 16th cutoff. That was enough to give the Lakers’ faithful a sigh of relief. However, Schroder’s statement of “ I just want it to be fair” on Tuesday has given the Purple and Gold loyalists a reason to worry again. But should they?

Keeping the Team as Competitive as Possible

Jeanie Buss knows that she owes it to LeBron James and Lakers fans to keep this team as competitive as possible. https://t.co/Y2uiMYAleq pic.twitter.com/74brOK4Cix

— Silver Screen and Roll (@LakersSBN) March 11, 2021

Earlier this month, Lakers owner Jeannie Buss talked about keeping the Lakers as competitive as possible while LeBron James is still with the team and playing at a high level. While Buss did not say it outright, she talked about the luxury tax being created for teams that have championship aspirations. And during that interview on ESPN’s First Take, she said that the Lakers are at the top of the championship conversation.

The best NBA betting sites have the Lakers as the odds on favorite to repeat as champs. While the Brooklyn Nets have been steadily chipping away at the oddsboard and teams like the Jazz and Suns are trying to take over the team standings, there’s no doubt that if they are 100% healthy, the Lakers are still the team to beat when it matters most- during the playoffs.

Putting together a championship comes with a price. Keeping one together is even more expensive. But with the Lakers’ ownership “very likely” willing to give LeBron James the supporting cast he needs to bring another Larry O’Brien trophy to the City of Angels, there’s no reason why they can’t give Dennis Schroder the fair deal he thinks he deserves. If it won’t be soon, it will be during the offseason, as a free agent.