Dennis Schroder is coming off a high point in his career as he prepares to report for training camp with the Sacramento Kings later this month.
Schroder was named EuroBasket MVP after leading Germany to an 88-83 victory over Turkey in the championship game Sunday at the Xiaomi Arena in Riga, Latvia.
Schroder finished with 16 points and 12 assists after hitting a series of clutch shots in the waning moments. Schroder scored his team’s last six points, including a go-ahead basket with 1:15 remaining, a jumper with 18.7 seconds to go and two clutch free throws, helping Germany finish the tournament with a 9-0 record.
Schroder averaged 20.3 points, 7.2 assists and 3.4 rebounds to help Germany capture its first EuroBasket championship sine 1993. Two years ago, Schroder earned the MVP award after leading Germany to the 2023 World Cup championship.
“We never shy away from the big moments,” Schroder told reporters in Latvia. “... Everybody is so confident. Just big-time plays from big-time character people.”
The Kings are counting on the same kind of leadership from Schroder after acquiring him in a sign-and-trade deal with the Detroit Pistons in July. The 31-year-old point guard will step into a starting lineup that features Zach Lavine, DeMar DeRozan, Keegan Murray and Domantas Sabonis with Malik Monk and Keon Ellis expected to play key roles off the bench.
General manager Scott Perry identified the point guard position as a top priority after he was hired to replace Monte McNair in April. Perry set his sights on Schroder, who will help fill a huge void after the Kings traded De’Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs in February.
Schroder has averaged 13.9 points and 4.9 assists over 12 NBA seasons. He will be playing for his 10th team following previous stints with the Atlanta Hawks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, Houston Rockets, Toronto Raptors, Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors and Pistons.
Schroder played for the Nets, Warriors and Pistons last season. He appeared in a total of 75 games, averaging 13.1 points, 2.6 rebounds and 5.4 assists while shooting 40.6% from the field and 34.2% from 3-point range.