Dennis Schroder is tearing it up for Germany at Eurobasket, yet despite his good form, the Phoenix Suns nor any other NBA team have picked up the free agent who just turned 29 yesterday.
His chances of an NBA contract have been enhanced by some sizzling displays at Eurobasket, including last time out as he helped eliminate Greece and two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Schroder finished with 26 points on 8-for-15 shooting, including 3-for-6 from three-point range. He also added eight assists and had the game’s highest efficiency rating (+27) outside Antetokounmpo (+31).
Free agent Dennis Schroder is the ultimate low-risk, high-reward player that the Phoenix Suns should be targeting ahead of training camp.
I spoke here about Schroder’s availability less than a fortnight ago, identifying his history with Chris Paul and his NBA career to date. However, I didn’t necessarily go into exorbitant detail on why Schroder is a low-risk, high-reward option for the Suns despite his flaws.
His clear deficiencies have often plagued his NBA career, there are valid reasons as to why Schroder finds himself on the outer. The defensive intensity is a major issue, while his offense too often wavers through inefficiencies. His locker room presence is also a question mark, with crude antics marring his sublime performance against Greece.
Dennis Schröder’s gesture towards the Greek bench last night was unacceptable.
— Dionysis Aravantinos (@AravantinosDA) September 14, 2022
At the same time, the messages and comments he received on Instagram were also unacceptable and out of line.
That’s not how basketball should be. pic.twitter.com/ho7KfSl3gW
Phoenix are in a prime position where they could really do with Schroder’s help, yet aren’t reliant on him to come in and be a major difference-maker. Their lack of point-guard depth is highly publicised, and there’s no doubt that Schroder could foreseeably earn 15-20 minutes a game in the Suns rotation.
But by the same token, if the situation goes pear shaped, then he doesn’t need to be in the rotation. Furthermore, if he was a real negative in the locker room, it would be easy to waive him assuming he’d accept a minimum deal at this point.
Take his stop with Boston last season as an example. Many thought it would be an excellent pickup when they got him for less than $6 million in free agency. Yet, things didn’t work out and he was traded to the Rockets mid-season. Nothing lost and nothing gained for a Celtics team that still made the NBA Finals.
Germany will take on Spain in the semifinal in just a few short hours, with many interested to see how Schroder performs in another high stakes matchup.