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SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 24: Dennis Schröder #17, Zach Lavine #8 and Russell Westbrook #18 of the Sacramento Kings react after they beat the Utah Jazz at Golden 1 Center on October 24, 2025 in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Well, Sacramento Kings guard Dennis Schroder didn’t leave much open to interpretation when speaking to reporters after a 123–118 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night. When asked about the impact of trade rumors on Kings players, the 12-year NBA veteran offered a blunt response:
“Like I always say, I don’t give a [expletive] about that,” Schroder told reporters. “At the end of the day, I enjoy every single day being in the NBA. I don’t take it for granted. Everybody else in the locker room is just going to play. Nothing is going to change, really. They’ve got the same salary. Of course, you get new teammates when something happens, a new organization, but at the end of the day, you’re still one of 400 people in the NBA.”
Schroder is in the middle of a news-filled 12th season. Earlier this month, he was suspended three games for an off-court incident following a Dec. 28 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. The confrontation occurred backstage at Crypto.com Arena with Lakers star Luka Doncic. Schroder previously played for Los Angeles, but never alongside Doncic.
The 32-year-old German national has become something of an NBA journeyman in recent seasons. The former 17th overall pick by the Atlanta Hawks in 2013 has averaged 13.9 points and 4.9 assists, spending time as both a starter and backup throughout his career.
He spent five seasons with the Hawks before two years in Oklahoma City, where he finished second in Sixth Man of the Year voting. Schroder joined the Lakers in 2020–21, starting 61 games and averaging 15.4 points and 5.8 assists. He returned in 2022 on a one-year deal, later bouncing around the league. This season with Sacramento, he’s averaging 12.5 points and 5.5 assists per game.
What’s Next for the Sacramento Kings and Dennis Schroder
Dennis Schroder, Lakers, Luka Doncic, Kings
GettyDennis Schroder #17 of the Sacramento Kings dribbles the ball against the Los Angeles Clippers during the second half at Intuit Dome on December 30, 2025 in Inglewood, California.
The Kings (12–34) have the second-worst record in the Western Conference and appear unlikely to make a playoff run midway through the season. They’ve lost four straight and six of their last 10 games.
Schroder is no stranger to being traded. In fact, he’s one of the most-traded players in league history, having been dealt seven times during his career. That includes being traded three times in 24 hours during the 2024–25 season, when he was moved from the Brooklyn Nets to the Golden State Warriors, then to the Utah Jazz, and finally to the Detroit Pistons.
It wouldn’t be a stretch to say he could be on the move again.
Schroder has started 12 games in 35 appearances for the Kings this season. He’s on pace for his fewest starts and appearances since the 2019–20 COVID season with the Oklahoma City Thunder, when he started just two games and appeared in 65.
It’s unclear what Schroder would command on the trade market, or whether he’d be part of a larger deal to help the rebuilding franchise. This is shaping up to be the Kings’ worst season in quite some time. Sacramento finished 40–42 last season, 46–36 the year before, and 48–34 in 2023–24.
The last time the Kings failed to make the NBA playoffs or play-in tournament was the 2021–22 season, when they finished 30–52.