Dennis Schröder is off to a strong start to the season with the Nets. The world champion has repeatedly emphasized that he would like to stay in New York long-term – but reports suggest that this is not a foregone conclusion. Which teams could realistically trade for Schröder?
By Ole Frerks
Seventh place, home advantage in the play-in, two attempts for a fixed playoff participation. Of course, the table after ten games is a snapshot and simply strange – only THREE teams in the East currently have a positive record – but as of now the Brooklyn Nets are in a position that no one would have thought they could be in, except maybe themselves.
“We don’t really care what people think or say. We believe in this group and everyone here wants to make the playoffs,” said Dennis Schröder recently, who has played a large part in the team’s four wins so far.
With 20.1 points, 6.6 assists and 1.5 steals on average, the 31-year-old has set career highs so far, including in terms of shooting rates (48.6% FG, 46.3% three-pointers). He also sets a good example defensively as a spearhead and helped ensure that the top teams Boston and Cleveland almost stumbled over Brooklyn at the weekend.
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“If you google ‘leader’, a picture of Dennis Schröder pops up,” enthused his head coach Jordi Fernandez recently.
It was to be expected that Brooklyn didn’t win these games, but it still frustrated those involved, especially Fernandez, who subsequently took the blame and obviously had the right to win these games too. Which speaks for Fernandez, although it doesn’t necessarily have to correspond to the direction of the franchise.
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All for the lottery?
Of course it doesn’t apply to players and coaches, but because of the draft system there are teams for whom defeats are more worthwhile than victories in the short term. The Nets are actually considered predestined for a classic tank job.
In the offseason, they gave up their best player Mikal Bridges and got their immediate draft destiny back: they now have their own picks again in 2025 and 2026, only the 2027 first-round pick is still going to Houston, as a result of the disastrous James Harden trade from another era.
In short, this means: Brooklyn went into the new season with one of the supposedly weakest squads in the league and had an interest in maintaining that, especially since 2025 is expected to be an outstanding draft class and a high pick represents their best short-term chance of becoming a real franchise. Getting players into the team.
So far, however, the team does not appear like one that plays for lottery balls. On the contrary: Brooklyn had a chance of winning in four of the six defeats, so it could do even better. According to NBA insider Marc Stein, this start has meant that the Nets are already being watched quite intensively within the league.
Are the Nets too good?
It had long been assumed that some of the veterans – including Dorian Finney-Smith and Bojan Bogdanovic, but also Schröder – could be traded over the course of the season. According to Stein, this is even expected. However, patience may now have to be discarded and trading should not be carried out until the trade deadline in February, the insider writes. Because the team is currently too good.
If that seems too cynical for you, the fact that front offices sometimes sabotage their teams is rare, but not unheard of. The Utah Jazz, for example, have sent veterans away during the season over the past two years because the team under head coach Will Hardy performed better than expected.
It’s a reality of the business that Schröder has already experienced, just last season, when the Toronto Raptors sent him to Brooklyn at the deadline without any sporting value.
Always see the positive
“At the end of the day, I know how this business works,” Schröder said after the win over the Milwaukee Bucks two weeks ago. “If something happens, I can deal with it. Even if I get traded, I always have to look at the positive and remember that this is the best league in the world and I’m blessed. But I would like to stay.”
Maybe this wish will come true. Perhaps Schröder, whose $13 million contract expires after the season, will have to reorient himself again, something he already has experience with (he has played for seven different teams since 2018).
The Braunschweiger could arouse the desires of the following teams…
New York Knicks
In this scenario, Schröder wouldn’t have to move at all. Although Brooklyn and New York had not made a trade since 1983 (!), this embargo was lifted in the offseason with the Bridges deal. The Knicks want to be champions, but they have a thin bench and have struggled offensively for years when Jalen Brunson goes to the bench.
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Schröder could act as his backup and also work alongside Brunson if his three-pointers continue to fall at anything like the rate at the start of the season. Finding a suitable deal is tricky, but not impossible, especially if Mitchell Robinson (14.3 million) is considered expendable.
Precious Achiuwa’s $6 million contract would also be tradeable from December 14th, and the Knicks also have two trade exceptions.
Orlando Magic
It would be the German NBA fairy tale and actually the “perfect match”!
Especially after the loss of Paolo Banchero, it is clear again that the Magic could still use another creator. Schröder would also strengthen the “German wing” and has proven to have very good chemistry with Franz and Moritz Wagner.
He wouldn’t hurt the strong defense either, especially if he were traded for the current backup guard Cole Anthony, who interestingly enough is a direct salary match (12.9 million). Brooklyn would be rejuvenated by the deal, Orlando would be better. This fit would be more straightforward than almost anything else.
NBA highlights: Schröder shines and is disappointed
Milwaukee Bucks
The second-to-last in the conference (!) can actually need reinforcements in almost all positions, but above all they lack athleticism, speed and backcourt defense – these are things Schröder could provide. The problem is that as a second apron team, Milwaukee is almost unable to make a trade.
For example, it is impossible for them to trade multiple salaries for one, or for them to take back more money than they send away. Realistically, they would only get Schröder if one of their top four earners were to leave in the deal (Giannis, Lillard, Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez), and that is unlikely.
Denver Nuggets
No good team is as dependent on its starters as Denver. This also means that the Nuggets are in desperate need of good bench players, even if their most productive reserve, Russell Westbrook, plays the same position as Schröder. Of course, this could also be sent away again in a trade, but that will only be possible from mid-December.
This would also be the case in another conceivable scenario if Denver combined the salaries of Zeke Nnaji and Dario Saric to bring in Schröder. However, that would make the already small squad even smaller. It’s complicated, even if Schröder could actually help here.
Minnesota Timberwolves
There is only one match here if we think (even) more ambitiously. A one-for-one trade is difficult to find due to salaries, but the following deal (starting December 1st) would work: Julius Randle to Brooklyn, Schröder and Cam Johnson to Minnesota.
This would allow the Wolves to address their lack of depth at the one and add a good 3-and-D forward in Johnson. However, they would also lose their second-best offensive player. And Brooklyn – well, Randle, who turns 30 in November, isn’t the classic building block for a rebuild either. That probably won’t work.
Los Angeles Lakers
Schröder has already played twice for the Lakers, maybe there will be a third attempt? He would undoubtedly help the backcourt defense again, and another good passer wouldn’t hurt the team at the moment (especially not one who hits so well from outside at the moment).
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As far as salaries are concerned, a trade could be found quite easily here if you involve Gabe Vincent (11 million) and add youngster Maxwell Lewis, for example. But that would only help the Nets if one or two draft assets landed with them. Will the Lakers get involved?
The conclusion
There are also a few other teams that could be considered. When looking for fits, however, it can be seen again and again that playing with the trade machine has not become any easier due to the current CBA with its first and second aprons. Many teams lack the flexibility to make trades for players, even if, like Schröder, they actually have moderate contracts.
The chance that there will be another Schröder trade still seems quite high. With his current performance, he is putting himself in the showcase and from mid-December, when many of the contracts concluded in the summer become tradeable, the league-wide flexibility for deals will increase again. By then, the level of panic in some teams is likely to reach different levels than it currently does.
Of course, there is also the option that Schröder stays in Brooklyn for the entire season – and perhaps beyond – and becomes part of something new there. In any case, he is on the way to becoming a crowd and trainer favorite. Maybe that’s a snapshot, but at least it’s a nice one.
