If the Detroit Pistons re-sign Dennis Schroder, they will quickly come to the same realization that Lakers fans already know.
Finishing the 2024-25 NBA season on a strong note, the upstart Detroit Pistons have a big decision to make on Dennis Schroder. Set to hit free agency, the Pistons must decide whether they want to re-sign him or not. However, I can't help but wonder if the Pistons go down the path of re-signing Schroder, that they will quickly come to the same realization that Lakers fans already know. It's the simple fact that re-signing Schroder has always been a mistake throughout his career.
It's a tough pill to swallow, but there isn't a team that has decided to invest big money or multiple years in Schroder that didn't come away underwhelmed. The Pistons must avoid that same mistake, or they will be subjected to that same disappointment. And for a team that is on the rise in the Eastern Conference, it's probably best that they avoid this situation entirely.
Dennis Schroder's disappointing history
After making a mark on the league after being a late first-round pick, the Atlanta Hawks decided to give Schroder a healthy four-year, $70 million contract extension in 2016. Less than two years later, the Hawks quickly regretted their decision and traded Schroder to the Oklahoma City Thunder. After two seasons with the Thunder, Schroder was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Once it became clear that re-signing Schroder was going to be too expensive, especially for his lack of consistent production, the Lakers allowed him to leave in free agency. Looking to rebuild his reputation across the league, Schroder signed a one-year deal with the Boston Celtics in 2021. Before the end of the season, he was traded to the Houston Rockets.
After failing to get an extension from Houston, Schroder found his way back to Los Angeles, hoping a second stint would bring more promising results. That didn't happen, and Schroder would end up signing a two-year deal with the Toronto Raptors. Midway through the 2023-24 season, the Raptors traded Schroder to the Brooklyn Nets.
A few weeks into the 2024-25 NBA season, Schroder was on the move again as the Nets traded him to the Golden State Warriors. Then, once more, at the 2025 NBA Trade Deadline, the Warriors sent Schroder to the Pistons.
All throughout his career, it seems that the second contract with a team has been Schroder's biggest downfall. It also happens to be why teams all over the league have seemingly elected to trade Schroder, rather than to give him an extension. It's a question that will now come across Detroit's desk this offseason.
The Pistons have bigger priorities than to re-sign Dennis Schroder
Even though the Pistons lost in six games to the New York Knicks in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, there's a lot of optimism that should be surrounding the team heading into the offseason. If the Pistons want to take the next step forward in their development as a team, they'll have to smartly navigate this summer.
Prioritizing the right team needs could be the key to emerging as a strong force next season. To be perfectly honest, re-signing Schroder may not be at the top of that list. With the expected return of Jaden Ivey, the argument can be made that Schorder may no longer be a necessity for the team moving forward.
Instead, the team could use that money to try and solidify the wing position, searching for a consistent 3-point shooter or all-around scorer. Schroder was a key contributor for Detroit down the stretch, but it may be time to move on - a realization that the Lakers, and many other teams, quickly made at one point before.