Emmanuel Thomas, DPA, Tuesday, May 23, 2023
Los Angeles – German point guard Dennis Schröder would like to keep playing in the NBA for the Los Angeles Lakers after his contract expires at the end of this season.
“That’s all still up in the air. I think both sides want this, of course,” Schröder told dpa when asked if he had played his last game for the Lakers on Monday evening against the Denver Nuggets.
The Nuggets completed a four-game sweep of the Western Conference finals with a 113-11 comeback win over the Lakers to reach the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history.
Schröder said that Lakers coach Darvin Ham is like family to him, but the team first has to deal with the overall situation with many expiring contracts.
“In summer, during the free agency period, my agent will talk to them and then we’ll see,” the German said.
Schröder is currently in his second term for the Lakers, after an underwhelming first stint in the 2020-21 season.
Last July, he agreed on his return with a one-year contract and is to become a free agent after the current season, meaning he’s free to sign with any team.
NBA teams have to comply with a salary cap, which makes the process of putting together a squad very complicated.