The Golden State Warriors are finalizing a deal to acquire Brooklyn Nets star Dennis Schroder and a second-round pick to maximize Steph Curry’s prime.
On Saturday, it was revealed that the Warriors were sending De’Anthony Melton and three second-round picks for the star guard, who is expected to give Golden State a boost in non-Curry minutes. The German playmaker might even eventually start alongside the four-time NBA champion to alleviate his ball-handling responsibilities, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Surprisingly, the Warriors did not give up any first-round picks in the impending deal for the 31-year-old, which the Nets have been looking for in any deal for their players.
Schroder is in the final year of a two-year, $25 million contract he signed with the Toronto Raptors in 2023. In the 2023-24 NBA season, the German star was traded to the Nets with Thaddeus Young for guard Spencer Dinwiddie as Toronto looked to jumpstart its rebuild.
The Warriors are not done testing the trade market, though. Charania reported Saturday that the Dubs remain in the hunt for a star player and could package Schroder’s contract in a bigger move before February’s trade deadline.
It was not long ago that Schroder broke the Warriors heart in the most sensational fashion. After being down by as many as 18 points in the third quarter of a late November matchup between the two teams, the Nets, led by Schroder, clawed out a 128-120 win over the Western Conference powerhouse.
Brooklyn outscored Golden State 41-28 in the final frame, with Schroder finishing with 31 points on 10-of-18 shooting from the field, to go along with his seven assists. Overall this season, the German star is averaging 18.4 points on 45.2 percent shooting from the field and 38.7 percent from beyond the arc, while dishing out 6.6 assists in 23 games, all starts.
Meanwhile, the Nets will be receiving Melton in return, who is out for the rest of the season after partially tearing his ACL in early November. Melton played six games this season, two starts, and was projected to be Curry’s backcourt mate before his season-ending injury.
Dennis Schroder is the newest Warriors star, less than a month of breaking Steph Curry and Golden State’s heart ( Image: Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)
With Golden State, Schroder can expect to be the main force to stabilize the second unit once Curry heads to the bench. Early in the season, the Warriors bench was a strength, which led to Golden State’s fast start to the year.
However, injuries and inconsistencies have plagued the Warriors in recent weeks, leading to Golden State slipping to fifth in the Western Conference standings. Also, Schroder’s acquisition gives the Warriors another scorer to help alleviate the pressure on Curry so the 36-year-old isn’t as burdened with bailing out Golden State in late-game situations.
Shortly after the Warriors’ loss to the Houston Rockets – which snapped a 15-game win streak over their once-former rivals – Curry spoke with reporters and bluntly explained how Golden State is edging closer to being a “mediocre team” as opposed to a championship contender.
“The pattern of scoreless droughts down the stretch has to be addressed, or else we’re going to be a mediocre team,” Curry told reporters after the loss, per NBC Sports Bay Area. “I take responsibility for not being able to get us organized or not being able to finish plays. The ball is in my hands, I’ve got to make shots.
“But I think we all can address certain sets that can get us better shot-creation opportunities, knowing how teams are trying to guard us, especially in the last five minutes.”
Now that Schroder is headed to the Bay Area in the surprise deal, the Warriors now have another player that can take over a game at any point – a point Golden State learned first hand just weeks prior to the deal being finalized. Along with Schroder, the Warriors also are monitoring LeBron James’ situation with the Los Angeles Lakers, if he is ever made available for a trade.
