The Los Angeles Lakers haven’t even begun the NBA regular season and they are already suffering losses. Point guard Dennis Schroder is set to undergo surgery on his right ring finger on Monday which could keep him sidelined for the first month of the season.
Head coach Darvin Ham said that Schroder could miss three-four weeks of action recovering from the procedure. Being sidelined for only a few weeks and not months is actually a positive outcome for the team as there was some worry that it could be a long-term injury that Schroder was dealing with.
Schroder is back for his second stint with the purple and gold. He signed a one-year, $2.64 million deal in September after being away from the franchise for one season. He infamously turned down an extension offer of four years worth north of $80 million, as his representation believed that he could sign for more as a free agent that summer.
That was in 2021 and Schroder has signed two contracts since declining the offer from the Lakers. The first one, which he signed with the Boston Celtics last year, was a one-year, $5.9 million deal.
LATEST NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Dennis Schroder & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
So, he is taking a pay cut for the second consecutive summer. But, he is motivated by returning to the Lakers and will have a chip on his shoulder. Schroder is going to do whatever he can to help the team win games this season and is hoping to become the latest player to return to Los Angeles after a rocky first stint to turn things around.
Before the injury, he was in the running for the starting point guard position along with Russell Westbrook and Kendrick Nunn. Patrick Beverley is likely going to start, but the Lakers are considering him a wing player right now, not a point guard to run the offense.
LATEST NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Dennis Schroder & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
In 64 games with the Celtics and Houston Rockets last season, Schroder averaged 13.5 points, 4.6 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game. He spent a majority of the season coming off the bench, something he didn’t do with the Lakers, but has done for a large chunk of his career previously and could be asked to do again.
