Schroder proved his mettle by winning the Basketball World Championship. Now he has a chance to become a star in the NBA.
Not too long ago, perhaps the most talked-about story related to Dennis Schroder was his refusal to sign a new contract with the Lakers for the 2020/21 season. Back then, the Los Angeles club offered him $84 million for 4 seasons, but the German declined, believing he could secure a nine-figure sum in the market. Spoiler: it never happened, and what’s more, Schroder later returned to the Lakers, playing for just over $2.5 million a year.
Now, Schroder has had a decent season and secured a new contract from Toronto, a team where he will undoubtedly be the primary option in his position. Then he traveled to Asia for the World Championship, winning it with the German national team and becoming the MVP of the tournament. At 30 years old, this is truly a turning point in the German’s career, and it’s an opportunity he cannot afford to waste.
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Schroder has finally proven to everyone that he is a quality basketball player. Now it’s time to do the same in the NBA
Looking at Schroder’s career, it’s evident he’s never been in the situation he finds himself in now. Whenever he was viewed as a top option in a team – either he was unprepared, or when he matured enough to take on a bigger role and responsibility, he often didn’t get that opportunity due to a controversial reputation.
What’s different now? Dennis is a superstar and an absolute legend in Germany and international basketball, the World Championship MVP who showcased all his leadership qualities and the ability not just to play well, but to win tournaments as the main star. In the NBA, he got a new contract – sure, $26 million for 2 years might not be the sum that stars hope for, but with Fred VanVleet’s move to Houston, Schroder will be the primary point guard and one of the main players in the team overall.
Furthermore, there isn’t a definitive pattern regarding the careers of World Championship MVPs in the NBA after winning the MVP award. Quite the opposite, in the 21st century, almost all MVPs have been successful in the NBA: Dirk Nowitzki (2002), Pau Gasol (2006), Kevin Durant (2010), and Kyrie Irving (2014). The exception might be Ricky Rubio, who won the award in 2019 but couldn’t solidify leading roles in the world’s top league and has currently paused his career due to mental health issues.
What will Dennis have to deal with in the NBA season?
Before the start of the season, bookmakers considered Toronto to be a legitimate contender for at least the play-in tournament (though the presence of many weak Eastern teams plays a key role here). Therefore, Dennis Schröder’s task won’t be to just “pad stats” on a tanking team; he’ll genuinely have to give it his all to achieve the best result with his new squad.
Essentially, not much has changed for the Canadians. They:
- Lost Fred VanVleet, who chose not to exercise his 2023/24 season option and entered the free agency, where he landed a 3-year, $130 million contract with Houston. Effectively, they replaced him with Dennis Schröder;
- Annoyed other clubs to the point where no one wants to trade for Pascal Siakam anymore. Looking at all the rumors post last season, nearly every team in the league was interested in the Raptors’ star forward. Toronto was even implicated in a possible Damian Lillard trade to Miami, which could have brought Tyler Herro to Canada, with Siakam potentially being sent somewhere else as part of a team rebuild. However, it seems all parties have now backed off from this idea.
- Retained all players willing to stay in Toronto. This has been a real challenge for the club, as high taxes and unique Canadian conditions don’t entice American stars to join the Raptors, making them look for talent from other countries. Hence, key roles in Toronto are now held by Austrian Jakob Pöltl, Cameroonians Pascal Siakam and Christian Koloko, Brit OG Anunoby, Canadian Chris Boucher, and, drum roll, German Dennis Schröder!
Before the 2023 World Cup, there were doubts that Schröder could truly handle such a task and effectively replace Fred VanVleet in Toronto, but there should be fewer skeptics now. The team’s composition has changed only in specific areas, the Eastern Conference power dynamics haven’t shifted much, and last season, the Raptors finished ninth in the regular season. So, what’s stopping them from performing similarly in 2023/24?
Given that Dennis is now 30, this might also be one of his last chances to prove his worth in the NBA and secure a more lucrative contract in the future.
Now, Dennis Schröder’s career progression solely depends on Dennis Schröder himself. He still has a lot to prove; he’s been given a rare opportunity to emerge as a legitimate superstar and now has the responsibility to seize it.
