The unexpected nature of the Russell Westbrook trade caused a ripple effect for not just the Lakers but across the league as well. On top of reportedly leaving those involved in the trade for Buddy Hield “blindsided,” the plans for the Lakers’ trio of point guards entering the free agent market changed as well.
Specifically speaking, Dennis Schröder will be forced into a drastically different approach. Unable to create any leverage with the Lakers now, Schröder is facing an even more uphill challenge of finding a lucrative offer this offseason.
One fan-driven theory of a way to generate a landing spot for Schröder while also completing the Hield trade involved Schröder being included in the trade for Westbrook while re-routing the likes of Kyle Kuzma and/or Montrezl Harrell to Sacramento to complete that end of the trade.