Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports
Report: Raptors Sign Dennis Schroder to Two-Year Deal
The Toronto Raptors have found their Fred VanVleet replacement.
Less than an hour after losing VanVleet to the Houston Rockets, Toronto has reportedly signed Dennis Schroder to a two-year, $26 million deal, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The deal will take up Toronto’s entire mid-level exception and leave the organization about $8.7 million below the luxury tax threshold.
Schroder is a significant step down from VanVleet but comes at a much more reasonable price for Toronto. The 29-year-old averaged 12.6 points and 4.5 assists per game while shooting 41.5% from the floor and 32.9% from three-point range in 66 games for the Los Angeles Lakers last season.
VanVleet’s departure left Toronto in a bind with no obvious answer. Gabe Vincent and Jevon Carter had already signed elsewhere, and the Raptors were stuck shopping in the mid-level exception department of free agency, a far cry from the max contract-type of player VanVleet signed for.
Schroder will now slide into Toronto’s backcourt as the team’s lead guard. He is currently one of just two guards on a fully guaranteed deal for the Raptors alongside Malachi Flynn. Jeff Dowtin Jr. is expected to be back and undrafted rookie Markquis Nowell is on a two-way deal.
Expect both Scottie Barnes and Pascal Siakam to help pick up some of the slack left by VanVleet’s departure.
Further Reading
Fred VanVleet Signs With Houston Rockets, per Report
