With Damian Lillard set to miss significant time due to an Achilles tear while both Kevin Porter Jr. and Ryan Rollins can hit free agency, the Milwaukee Bucks have questions in the backcourt. As they look to answer them, perhaps one backup plan could come in the form of someone they've shown interest in before, and that's well-traveled veteran Dennis Schroder.
The Bucks could use help, and Dennis Schroder could give it
Milwaukee's front office is quite familiar with Schroder. They checked in on him back in 2020 when he was on the OKC Thunder, reportedly, and also in 2022 when he was a member of the Boston Celtics. It would make sense if they checked in on him once again as they look to plug some holes regarding their potential point guard vacancy.
Schroder played for three teams this past season, bouncing around as he always has, but that's due to him being in high demand. He started the year with Brooklyn and played some of the best ball of his career, averaging 18.4 points, 6.6 assists, and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 38.7 percent from downtown. At 31, he's got plenty of fuel left in the tank and can help a team out.
He'd give Milwaukee a savvy floor general who knows how to play the game well. Yes, at 6-foot-1, the defensive limitations may be there, as small guards are prone to get picked on, but Schroder has the scoring, shooting, and facilitating chops to give this team a lift in other regards, primarily with his scoring ability, something this team desperately needs without Damian Lillard.
The big question is what kind of financial compensation Schroder could command on the market in NBA Free Agency. He's coming off a decent playoff showing with the Detroit Pistons, but it won't be enough to catapult him into the top portion of the class. The veteran should be within Milwaukee's price range, especially if they can split up their midlevel exception.
The Milwaukee Bucks should absolutely be focused on keeping both Porter and Rollins to run the point guard spot, but if they lose one or both, Schroder could be a nice veteran stopgap. After all of the past trade rumors, there may be a clear pathway to the guard landing in Milwaukee this summer. The Bucks' point guard position will be under a microscope this offseason.
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