Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadive traveled abroad to watch the newest member of his team’s starting lineup as the FIBA EuroBasket championships got underway Wednesday.
Ranadive was impressed with Dennis Schroder’s performance in Germany’s win over Montenegro in a Group B game at Tampere Deck Arena in Finland. Schroder had 21 points and four assists in Germany’s 106-76 victory.
Ranadive took to social media to show his support after the game, posting an Instagram photo of himself and Schroder with a caption that read: “Great to see @ds17_fg (Schroder) lead Germany to a win!”
Schroder replied: “Thanks for coming out this way! This means a lot.”
Germany is among the EuroBasket favorites along with Serbia, France and Greece. Schroder was named MVP after leading the German national team to its first FIBA Basketball World Cup championship in 2023.
The Kings acquired Schroder, a 31-year-old point guard, in a sign-and-trade deal with the Detroit Pistons on July 7. Schroder is expected to bring stability to a lineup that features Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Keegan Murray and Domantas Sabonis.
New general manager Scott Perry identified the point guard spot as a top priority after coming to an organization that traded Tyrese Haliburton, Davion Mitchell and De’Aaron Fox over a span of 24 months prior to his arrival. Perry addressed that need when he signed Schroder to a three-year, $45 million contract as part of a deal that sent a protected 2026 second-round draft pick to Detroit while bringing a 2029 second-round pick back to Sacramento.
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.