Once again, Dennis Schroder has been traded. This time, the Sacramento Kings sent him to the Cleveland Cavaliers as part of a three-team deal. Given how much trouble he's had finding a permanent home in the NBA, it might be time for Schroder to consider a move to the EuroLeague.
Since leaving the Atlanta Hawks after five seasons in 2018, Schroder has pretty much just bounced around the league. After the end of his time in Atlanta, he's played for or at least been associated with 10 franchises in some capacity. Counting the Hawks, that's more than one third of the league.
Some of this could have been avoided by Schroder if he had chosen to sign a four-year contract offered to him by the Lakers in 2021. Instead, he chose to explore free agency. To be fair, there's no guarantee that Los Angeles would not have ended up trading him anyway.
About the Trade… - New Chapter 🙏🏿💯 #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/8g3FJo6ADM
— Dennis Schröder (@DS17_FG) February 3, 2026
Dennis Schroder isn't a bad basketball player. In fact, he can be pretty gosh darn good off the bench. The problem is he makes better trade capital than he does a long-term fixture, which is why the Kings traded him so quickly. It might be time for Schroder to explore options outside of the United States.
Schroder belongs in the EuroLeague
In the NBA style of play, Schroder is a perfectly fine. There's nothing specifically wrong with him. But in FIBA play, the man is an absolute superstar. Schroder comes to life when he's on the international scene, as evidenced by his performance last summer.
At EuroBasket 2025, Schroder led the German national team to a European title, their first since 1993. He picked up a double-double in the final and was ultimately named the FIBA EuroBasket MVP. To be honest, FIBA Dennis Schroder is a much better player than NBA Dennis Schroder.
The two main reasons he's likely in the NBA instead of the EuroLeague are probably money and cache. Most basketball players worldwide dream of playing in the NBA, and making great money doing it. Still, it's probably time Schroder considers a move back to Europe.
He may be holding out for an NBA Championship, which could happen in Cleveland, assuming they don't trade him. When his current NBA contract is up, Schroder will be 34 and could still play a few great seasons in the EuroLeague. It would be a great way for him to end his career.