After a season spent bouncing around the NBA, Dennis Schroder will settle for the moment in Sacramento after signing a three-year, $45 million deal with the Kings, per ESPN’s Shams Charania. Schroder began the 2024-25 season in Brooklyn, was traded to the Golden State Warriors after a hot start and finished as a useful rotation piece for the Detroit Pistons.
Schroder used the momentum of his strong second half and playoff finish with the Pistons after being involved in the complicated Golden State-Miami Jimmy Butler trade to land this $45M deal in Sacramento. https://t.co/iu6ezH5dPq
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2025
Grade: C-
Schroder produced on the court last season, averaging 13.1 points, 5.4 assists and 2.6 rebounds on 53.1 percent true shooting — nearly five points below the league average. He bumped up his efficiency in the playoffs (62.5 percent true shooting, 47.6 percent 3-point shooting) against the New York Knicks and provided some defensive value as an on-ball stopper.
During the regular season, Schroder spends most of his time commanding the basketball; his 41 percent on-ball rate ranked in the top 10 last season. That number tanked in the playoffs (28 percent) and will have to dip in Sacramento, as Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine will dominate the ball for plenty of possessions.
He’s one of the league’s better drivers, consistently cracking defenses and touching the paint with his blinding first step. Schroder will add more paint pressure to a Sacramento offense that’s ranked among the bottom three in rim frequency over the past two seasons.
While he’s a useful player at this stage, especially if he’s making his catch-and-shoot threes, it’s a bit of an odd signing for a rudderless Kings team. After a disappointing season, the Kings look to be stuck in basketball limbo. Signing Schroder likely won’t pull them out of that quicksand.
All of their notable rotation guards (LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Devin Carter, Malik Monk and Keon Ellis) are locked under contract for at least this season. Any trades Sacramento makes could include one or more of these guards, which will open playing time for Schroder, especially if the Kings pivot to a rebuild.
That seems unlikely, though, as new general manager Scott Perry would have to upend the entire roster and likely move away from Sabonis to do so. If the Kings push their chips in this season, Schroder can contribute to winning as a rotational 3-and-D point guard who mans bench offenses and spaces the floor for the starters.
This signing won’t drastically change the long-term outlook for the Kings. Schroder can add positive two-way value, but that value might not serve Sacramento in a meaningful way throughout his tenure there.
