Knicks, Bulls Expected to Have Interest in Dennis Schroder this Offseason

Dennis Schroder had an up and down season for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020-21 but some expect interest to remain high for the 27-year-old playmaker this offseason.

In fact, according to Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer, the New York Knicks and Chicago Bulls are two teams to watch for in particular:

League sources expect Chicago and New York to emerge as Schroder suitors, and both could be conducted via sign-and-trade—although Knicks certainly have the cap space to sign him outright.

With no real true point guard on the roster heading into next season, the Knicks will likely be pursuing point guard options heavily in free agency. The Bulls do have Coby White and Tomas Satoransky on the roster but with playoff ambitions following their acquisition of All-Star center Nikola Vucevic, Schroder is a proven player whose scoring chops could be key to Chicago’s aspirations.

Schroder will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason after declining a four-year $84 million extension from the Los Angeles Lakers earlier this year.

In 2020-21 regular season, Schroder averaged 15.4 points and 5.8 assists per game on 43.7 percent shooting from the field and 33.5 percent shooting from three. In the playoffs, Schroder’s numbers would drop across the board, as he averaged 14.3 points and 2.8 assists per game while shooting just 40.0 percent from the floor (including 30.8 percent from 3-point range).

Schroder has played eight seasons in the NBA with three different teams: the Lakers, Atlanta Hawks and Oklahoma City Thunder. In those eight seasons, the former first-round pick has averaged 14.3 points and 4.7 assists per game.