The Charlotte Hornets acquired Dennis Schroder from the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Charlotte Hornets acquired veteran guard Dennis Schroder from the Cleveland Cavaliers in the offseason.
Charlotte traded Tre Mann to Cleveland for Schroder and cash considerations and Schroder is "really happy" to be on the team.
While grading the trade, ESPN explained why the Hornets got a B- for the Schroder deal.
Schroder will make $14,809,200 this season. He is set to earn $15,514,400 during the final season of his contract in 2027-28, only $4.4 million of which is guaranteed.
The Cavaliers acquired Schroder from the Sacramento Kings last season. Schroder averaged 12.8 points and 5.3 assists per game with the Kings and 8.2 points and 4.3 assists per game with the Cavaliers.
The 32-year-old Schroder has been in the NBA since 2013 and he has played for many teams. The Braunschweig native has played for the Atlanta Hawks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Lakers (twice), Boston Celtics, Houston Rockets, Toronto Raptors, Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors, Detroit Pistons, Kings and Cavaliers.
Schroder has career averages of 13.7 points and 4.9 assists per game in the regular season and 10.7 points and 3.4 assists per game in the playoffs. He will play behind Coby White, who is Charlotte's new starting PG in the post-LaMelo Ball era.
The Hornets are expected to start White, Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel, Naz Reid and Moussa Diabaté this season. That's a strong starting five on paper.
The Hornets went 44-38 last season. They beat the Miami Heat in the 9-10 NBA play-in game but lost to the Orlando Magic in the 8-9 play-in game and missed the playoffs again.
Charlotte hasn't made the playoffs since 2016.
With Ball gone, Miller and Knueppel will see increased offensive usage, which should be excellent for their development.
Schroder is looking forward to playing for the Hornets. He was behind James Harden and Donovan Mitchell in Cleveland, so his usage rate and role weren't ideal.
Miller and Knueppel are the new franchise players in Charlotte with Ball and Miles Bridges gone. Both youngsters have a lot of untapped potential.
Miller appeared in 65 games for the Hornets last season, his third year in the NBA. He averaged 20.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game while shooting 43.5% from the field, 38.3% from beyond the arc and 89.2% from the free-throw line.
Meanwhile, even though Knueppel didn't win the 2025-26 Rookie of the Year award, he still had a special season for the Hornets. The swingman averaged 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game and shot 47.5% from the field, 42.5% from 3 and 86.3% from the free-throw line. He led the NBA in 3-pointers.
Miller enters this upcoming season with career averages of 19.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. He was the second overall pick in the 2023 draft.
