Lakers Guard Sets Record Straight On Extension Speculation

Dennis Schroder is back with the Los Angeles Lakers again. The Lakers guard returned for another stint with the franchise and fans still talk about the $84 million extension he was offered. Well, Schroder has something to say about this.

According to the German native, he didn’t turn down any extension offer. There was no such thing. Schroder ended up playing with the Boston Celtics and they sent him to the Houston Rockets in February. Things didn’t go well for the veteran guard and he went back home, hoping to take the national team to a championship win. It didn’t happen and Schroder signed another deal with the Lakers.

“There never was a contract, never rejected anything,” Schroder said. “I don’t know who brought it up, but that’s the media, you know? But at the end of the day, no contract and I’m just happy to be here. Like you said, unfinished business and we just got to take care of the stuff and win a chip [championship].”

The Lakers guard did discuss an extension with the team

Dave McMenamin from ESPN provided more details about Schroder’s contract situation with the Lakers.

“A source familiar with the negotiations between Schroder’s representative at the time and the Lakers told ESPN that when L.A. broached a conversation about an extension in February 2021, Schroder’s side said they would rather wait until the offseason to discuss a deal when he reached free agency,” McMenamin wrote. “When the offseason came, Los Angeles was uninterested in offering the same type of long-term deal it intended to discuss months earlier and ended up trading for Russell Westbrook to play point guard.”

Schroder is ready to win again

Schroder was a good fit for the Lakers and LeBron James respects his skills. The team decided to give him another chance, and hopefully, he will get the best of it.

“Of course, it would be great to sign a big deal and a longer-term deal, and that’s my goal still,” Schroder said. “But the end of the day, we are here now and I’m going to do everything I can right now to just help my teammates win ballgames.”

Head coach Darvin Ham has great plans for Schroder. The veteran missed time and this was more than enough for fans to speculate. No, he wasn’t leaving the Lakers. He had visa issues. That’s all.