Dennis Schroder is among the backup point guards who could reportedly pop up on the New York Knicks’ radar ahead of the trade deadline. They would be wise to take whatever desire they have to land him, bury it deep beneath the surface, and…never explore it ever again.
SNY’s Ian Begley touched upon the Schroder situation during a recent episode of The Putback with Ian Begley. He name-checked both the 32-year-old as well as Jose Alvarado as targets in whom New York is expected to show interest.
At around the 57:31 mark of the podcast, Begley also follows up on some reporting from James Ham of The Kings Beat about the link between Schroder and the Knicks. “I want to credit James Ham out in Sacramento, who noted the Knicks would have interest in Schroder,” Begley says. “I think he was on that, and I think that is true, they will have interest there, if and when Sacramento says ‘Hey, let’s talk.’”
Dennis Schroder would not be a sure thing for the Knicks
Adding another ball-handler beyond Jalen Brunson who can go up against defensive pressure is rock-solid logic by the Knicks. Jordan Clarkson has seldom looked like the answer even during his best moments, and the Tyler Kolek emergence isn’t yet bankable enough to negate New York’s entire trade-deadline agenda.
Still, the Schroder fit is, quite frankly, not a home-run.
He has shown he can play away from the ball in years past, and gave the Knicks fits during their first-round playoff series last season against the Detroit Pistons. But his efficiency has been all over the place since joining the Kings, and his defense at the point-of-attack ebbs and flows, often veering into overrated territory.
To be fair, Schroder does make some sense when looking at the larger context of New York’s offense. Head coach Mike Brown wants the team to drive and spray. Getting downhill is second nature to Schroder. But while he’s an above-average facilitator out of those situations, neither the passing volume nor assist rate ever truly pops. Bake in lackluster efficiency on spot-up threes, and the juice doesn’t feel worth the squeeze.
It would be an altogether different story if Schroder were cheaper. He’s not. And that’s the real issue.
Schroder is much too expensive for the Knicks
The 32-year-old is on the books for $14.1 million this season. Since the Knicks are within $150,000 of the second apron, they can’t take back more money in a trade than they send out. That means they must unload at least $14.1 million of their own salary in any Schroder.
This is categorically impossible without including Mitchell Robinson. Even stacking Guerschon Yabusele, Pacome Dadiet, and Deuce McBride on top of each other doesn’t get New York to that number.
As scattershot as Robinson’s availability and future might be, the Knicks can hardly afford to trade his offensive rebounding and defense without acquiring another big in the process. Schroder could perhaps make sense as part of a larger deal that bags New York him, and a reserve center. Even then, you’d have to wonder whether the Knicks are unnecessarily exposing themselves to a downgrade.
New York is much better off focusing on cheaper options who don’t knife into the core of its rotation. Schroder would be a questionable fit even if he were making the $4.5 million figure Alvarado is taking home. He should be considered a complete non-starter at his current price point—if only because of what that demands the Knicks give up to get him.