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Dennis Schröder Opens Up on His Time With Cleveland Cavaliers After Trade

The German guard spent half-a-year with the Cavs. He recently reflected on his brief tenure.
Zach Weiss|
IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Cleveland Cavaliers

Heading to his 12th team in 14 NBA seasons, Dennis Schröder has not been able to call any one place home for too long. The Charlotte Hornets are the newest squad that the German guard will be bringing his talents to.

The fit seems to be very strong, as he figures in as the number two point guard behind Coby White. The franchise moved LaMelo Ball earlier in the summer, so bringing in the vet and paying the aforementioned White helped shore up a slightly different PG room.

And now that his time in Cleveland is up, following being dealt for Tre Mann, reflected on most recent stop. Here’s what he had to say.

Not Quite Perfect

"I've known for a month. I think the Hornets are a better situation for me because I can play the way I normally play. When you have two legends in your position who bring the ball up the court and play a lot of isolation, then it’s just difficult.” – Dennis Schröder on his time in Cleveland.

James Harden and Donovan Mitchell both needed the ball, so the playmaking opportunities were few and far between for the veteran guard. It did make things a bit more difficult for him.

When the Cavs sent De’Andre Hunter to the Kings last year for Keon Ellis and Schröder, it was seen as a win. The 6-foot-8 Hunter had struggled to make a consistent impact last year, his game completely letting him down and his efficiency going to the worst levels they’d been at.

They had acquired him to fill the SF void the year prior, but it ultimately didn’t work out. Getting off his contract seemed to be like the win, and still getting value during a down season. Plus, it saved them some money against the salary cap.

Ellis was looked at as an above-average perimeter defender who could space the floor. Schröder was a clear upgrade over an unplayable Lonzo Ball and entered the rotation immediately. When the team wasn’t at full strength and more minutes were available, each guy thrived. The issue though, was they were undersized. Plus, not having the ball as much did in fact make things tougher.

Schröder certainly had some moments here, but he will absolutely thrive more in Charlotte. 

Onto the Next

Of course, Schröder was well-liked in Cleveland. For the first time in his long, well-traveled NBA journey, he was posting regularly. Engaging with Cavs fans on X, he showed that he loved being there. The city embraced him back and he had some marvelous moments during his tenure.

Of course though, it was for a brief time. Moving him enabled the team to acquire the versatile-young Peyton Watson, so at the end of the day, the deal is going to be a win-win.

The Hornets needed a trusted backup PG, and the Cavs needed a starting small forward for their roster. A win-win, and here’s to seeing the German guard thrive on his next team.

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Zach Weiss
ZACH WEISS

Zach has been a fan of Cavaliers basketball since the summer of 2003, despite growing up in Bergen County, New Jersey. He’s been making yearly trips to Cleveland to watch the team, while engaging with fans on Across The Cavs since 2019.

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