In 2021, Dennis Schroder made headlines by reportedly turning down an $80 million contract offer by the Lakers. Schroder, who was then playing starting guard for the Purple and Gold, chose to bet on himself and decided to aim for a higher salary as a free agent that summer.
Unfortunately, things would quickly turn sour for both Schroder and the Lakers that season, and the campaign ended in a total disaster for everyone. By the end of it, Schroder’s value had decreased so much, the $80 million contract he had allegedly turned down was worth way more than any other offer he received that offseason. He had no choice but to sign with the Celtics for the minimum.
To this day, it is considered one of the biggest financial mistakes by a player in the modern NBA era.
The Lakers traded for Schroder to bring him in from Oklahoma City. Schroder had a good 2019-20 season, where he was the runner-up for the Sixth Man Of The Year accolade. The Lakers realized Schroder only had one year left on his contract and wanted to sign him to a lucrative extension. The Lakers offered Schroder $84 million over 4 years, but Schroder rejected the deal, thinking he could leverage a $100 million deal in free agency.
But his lackluster play in the regular season and the playoffs have seen his value plummet in recent weeks. The Lakers decided to move on from Schroder, bringing former MVP Russell Westbrook as their new point guard. And despite being linked to teams like the Bulls, Schroder is yet to sign a new contract with any NBA team. But if and when he does sign a new deal, it will presumably be smaller than the $100 million contract he was looking for.
Dennis Schroder Reportedly Denies The Lakers Offered Him $84 Million
Despite the story being years old now, and Schroder himself mentioning it several times, the whole thing is apparently made up. According to Dennis, there was no offer at all from the Lakers that year.
Dennis Schröder, who once posted on his IG a photo of him covering his head with his hands and the caption "insert your best 'fumbled the bag' joke here" months after reportedly turning down an extension with LAL worth north of $80m, said today "there never was a contract"
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) October 10, 2022
No matter who you chose to believe in this case, Dennis Schroder will have a lot to prove this season if he wants to become a part of the team’s long-term plans, and the Lakers will need him to play big if they are to surprise some teams out West.
But something tells me that if Schroder gets offered anything close to $80 million again this year, he wouldn’t hesitate to accept.
