NBA: 10 players in need of a new home for the 2019-20 season

9. Dennis Schroder

The move to acquire Dennis Schroder last summer gave the Oklahoma City Thunder an adequate backup point guard they’d sorely lacked for many years.

Whether alongside Russell Westbrook or in his place, Schroder has proven more than capable over the years of being able to run the offense and put pressure on the opposition.

With under 30 minutes a night, he did just that, averaging 15.5 points and 4.1 assists per game. He even posted the second-best 3-point percentage of his career at 34.1.

Unfortunately, his efforts weren’t enough to help OKC avoid a third straight first-round elimination, prompting a roster overhaul that saw the exit of Westbrook and Paul George.

In the aftermath of certain blown-upped franchises, there would be an opportunity for a guy like Schroder to assume complete control of the offense.

It’s what happened during his final season with the Atlanta Hawks where, after Paul Millsap signed with Denver, Schroder averaged career-highs in points and shot attempts per game with no one on the roster to say otherwise.

Whatever openings that may be available will certainly be filled by Chris Paul. Excluding the nine-time All-Star, the Thunder also managed to acquire Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, an All-Rookie floor general with a bright future.

At just 6’1”, Schroder has never been anything but a point guard during his six NBA seasons. SGA’s size allows him to operate off the ball, but a backcourt of CP3 and Schroder is bound to get torched defensively, ultimately leaving Schroder third in OKC’s depth chart.

He’s limited defensively, but Schroder was the fifth-highest scorer off the bench in the league last season. The Thunder aren’t expected to make the playoffs this coming year.

After missing the postseason in his final season in Atlanta, it’s unlikely Schroder would want to experience similar struggles in Oklahoma City with far fewer touches to fill up the box score.