With the Los Angeles Lakers set to acquire guard Dennis Schroder from the Oklahoma City Thunder, Anthony Davis has already given his likely new teammate some high praise.
“He’s a great pickup. With Schroder alongside LeBron [James] and the other guys that they (Lakers) decide to opt or whatever,” said Davis to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. “I think it was a good pickup. Like you said, can easily win Sixth Man of the Year any given year. He played great alongside C.P. (Chris Paul) and Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander]. I think that he’s tough. He shot the ball well this year. He can get in the paint. He can find guys, and he’s very, very scrappy. I think it was a good move, a good pickup for the Los Angeles Lakers.”
The Lakers have agreed to acquire Schroder in return for swingman Danny Green and a first-round pick in Wednesday’s NBA draft.
Schroder is pegged to be the likely replacement for Rajon Rondo, who is a free agent and may decide to leave the Lakers.
However, the German native has the potential to be far more than that. With his ability to push the pace, create his own shot, defend and set up teammates, he could turn the dynamic duo of Davis and James into a trio of stars.
Schroder averaged 18.9 points and 4.0 assists per game while shooting a career-high 38.5 percent from 3-point range this past season.
In doing so, he was a major contender for the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award while helping lead the Thunder to a surprising playoff appearance.
