What does Dennis Schroder's decision to sign a one-year deal with the Boston Celtics mean for him and his new team?
Having reportedly turned down an extension offer from the Los Angeles Lakers during the regular season, Schroder saw his market fail to materialize this summer. After the Lakers replaced him at point guard by trading for Russell Westbrook, Schroder was forced to settle for a one-year deal at the $5.9 taxpayer midlevel exception, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
What kind of a bargain are the Celtics getting in Schroder at that price? And what are his chances of reestablishing his value in Boston in time to return to free agency in the summer of 2022? Let's break it down.
A cautionary tale
In baseball, second baseman Jody Reed infamously turned down a three-year, $7.8 million extension from the Los Angeles Dodgers after the 1993 season in order to test free agency. He ended up with a one-year contract from the Milwaukee Brewers that paid $750,000 (including incentives) and made $2.2 million total over the three-year span according to Baseball-Reference.com.
For years, any time a player made a questionable decision to turn down an extension offer, Reed's example was cited. I suspect Schroder's tale may linger in the same way.