Dennis Schroder signed as a free agent in the summer of 2021 and played with the Boston Celtics for less than a season. The point guard was traded to the Rockets in a move that sent Daniel Theis back to his old NBA team after spending several months in Boston as a sixth man. In the end, Schroder brought his career back to life with the Lakers the previous year, and this past summer, he signed a big contract with the Raptors. On Monday night, though, Schroder was not winning a game against his old team, the Raptors, as the Celtics defeated them 105-96 to take the season series.
Even though they lost, Schroder hung out with his old teammates and gave Jayson Tatum his signed jersey after the game. The jersey, along with a message from Schroder that read, “Go win that chip this year,” was posted on Instagram by the All-Star player for the Celtics.
Following Monday’s victory, Tatum talked with the media in Toronto regarding his friendship with the Raptors point guard.
“What a wonderful guy he is. fantastic man, fantastic teammate, but we only got to play with him for five months before the move,” Tatum remarked. Simply put, quite competitive. You realize that as you spend more time with him, he will voice his opinions if he sees something or does anything that bothers him. We kind of believed that we would prevail. We had difficult talks, but I gained a great deal of respect for him because, at his core, he is a winner. He is a really fierce rival.
Throughout a difficult Toronto season thus far, where he has alternated between the starting lineup and the Raptors’ bench, Schroder has been vocal.
“That is his true nature,” Tatum remarked. “He never backs down from a challenge and will always be competitive. You may respect someone like that, just as a rival.
Considering the direction the team took after he left, Schroder must be wondering what may have been in Boston after such a short stay. The veteran signed a one-year contract in 2021 for the mid-level exception, but he was traded in part to create space for Derrick White, the newest member of the Celtics, and to give Payton Pritchard a chance to sign at the 2022 trade deadline. Boston went on to make it to the NBA Finals in 2022 and appears to be a consistent contender going forward.
In the meantime, Schroder finds himself trailing Immanuel Quickley, a recent trade addition, on a Toronto team that appears to be more interested in rebuilding than competing. At this rate, it doesn’t seem likely that the Raptors will make the playoffs, but if Schroder is watching from the sidelines, it’s obvious who he will be rooting for.
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