Dennis Schroder has joined the Sacramento Kings, and he may be the only acquisition the team makes during their sleepy march through the offseason. While many fans were hoping for something more from their team, people are coming to terms with the possibility that the Kings won't change much this summer.
A lot of fans are pessimistic about what's ahead because they feel Schroder won't move the needle much. But one person is really optimistic about 2025-26 due to the addition of Schroder. That person is Zach LaVine, who is ready to get to work with his new teammate.
LaVine says Schroder will help a lot, but will he?
Speaking to the Sacramento Bee, LaVine gave a breakdown of what Schroder might bring to the team in the new season. He first acknowledged his strong working relationship with DeMar DeRozan, saying he has a "track record for being able to put the ball in the basket" with DeRozan. Then he moved on to Schroder and the tool bag he will take with him to Sacramento.
“But I think we need an overall team concept to where everything’s working the right way,” LaVine said. “Sometimes roster construction helps out a lot with that.”
He went on: "So having Dennis, a veteran point guard who’s been in a lot of places, can come off the bench, has started. He can calm things down. He’s been in pressure situations. I think it’s going to help a lot.”
LaVine is attempting to paint a rosy picture for Kings fans, who were eager to see the front office blow the team up or perhaps pursue Jonathan Kuminga in the summer. Although no one will argue with Schroder's deep well of experience, a lot of Kings followers don't think that he will help the team.
After all, Schroder has shown that he isn't someone who makes a big impact, at least not recently. He didn't do much with the Detroit Pistons or the Golden State Warriors. He showed some promise during his stint with the Brooklyn Nets, but that was brief. It's been a while since Schroder felt like a truly influential player on a roster.
Schroder has turned into a hired gun, an NBA player who bounces from team to team but doesn't deliver much. Perhaps he will get back on track with the Kings, but there is also a good chance he continues to turn in middling numbers.
More importantly, Schroder's experience and skills don't help with one of Sacramento's biggest problems: their defense. As LaVine noted, the team can score, especially with him and DeRozan running things. They are confident with their offense. It's their defense that requires improvement, and, sadly, Schroder probably won't address that.
LaVine is excited to create something special with Schroder and he wants everyone to know they are planning big things. But his latest comments won't do much to improve the low morale of fans, who are expecting good offense, and not much else, from the Kings in 2025-26.