NBA Rumors: Los Angeles Lakers Point Guard Looking At Big Payday This Summer

MAY 25: Dennis Schroder #17 of the Los Angeles Lakers handles the ball during the first half of Game Two of the Western Conference first-round playoff series at Phoenix Suns Arena on May 25, 2021 in Phoenix, Arizona. Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images

KEY POINTS

Dennis Schroder is looking at a massive payday this summer
He turned down a four-year, $84 million extension with the Lakers in March
His performance in the playoffs may have hurt his value

The offseason drama begins for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Armin Andres, the vice president of the German Basketball Federation, appeared on the German Abteilung Basketball podcast and said that Dennis Schroder is looking at a contract that’s worth $100 million to $120 million.

In addition, Andres bared that there are beliefs within Schroder's camp that he can get an offer from a team for this amount.

However, the amount may be in Euros as Andres didn’t mention a specific currency outright.

If the value is indeed in Euros, that would be around the ballpark of $118 million to $143 million, which would be quite the demand after his terrible performance in the playoffs.

The Lakers reportedly offered Schroder a four-year, $84 million extension in March which he promptly turned down, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, as he believed that he can get more in the free-agent market in the offseason.

Phoenix's Devin Booker drives past Los Angeles guard Dennis Schroder in the Suns' 113-100 victory over the Lakers that clinched their NBA playoffs first-round series GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Harry How

With how things turned out, this might have been the wrong move for the German as he very much underperformed against the Phoenix Suns in the first round.

For context, he averaged 14.3 points, three rebounds, 2.8 assists, and one steal per game in 32.7 minutes while shooting 40% from the field over the course of six games.

He also put up a goose egg in points after nine attempts in the 30-point loss in Game 5.

This performance was a far cry from the player that he was in the regular season, where he posted averages of 15.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 1.1 steals in relatively the same number of minutes.

According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, he likes what Schroder brings to the table, but he doesn’t see him as a starting-caliber point guard as he questions his “leadership and shooting.”

Many will tend to agree with Berman’s assessment of Schroder as his current body of work points to him being a sixth man rather than a starting point guard.

The way he plays is comparable to that of Reggie Jackson from that of cross-town rivals--the Los Angeles Clippers.

A sign-and-trade deal for Schroder could also be in the books, but it might be in the Lakers’ best interest to not have him on the books at all moving forward.

A Lonzo Ball return to the Lakers could be a possibility as the New Orleans Pelicans guard is expected to hit free agency as well.

Whether the Lakers accommodate his request or not, it is up to the front office. However, it may be better for them to explore the free-agent market for a replacement.