Dennis Schröder will also come to terms with the move to Cleveland, almost 4,000 kilometers away. The captain of the German national basketball team has known this since he left his hometown of Braunschweig and moved to the USA in 2013. Initially he settled with the Hawks in Atlanta, but after five years there, Schröder became an NBA nomad. Oklahoma, Los Angeles, Boston, Houston, Los Angeles again, Toronto, New York, San Francisco, Detroit, Sacramento – and now Cleveland.
13 different clubs is the record
“I’ve been here for 13 years now, of course I know it and will always try to do the same thing, no matter where it is,” Schröder told Sky broadcaster, even before the father’s move to the Cavaliers was sealed: “At the end of the day, we’re just human, but as I said: I take it professionally.”
Dennis Schröder handles the many changes in the NBA professionally. (archive image) | © Julian Stratenschulte/dpa
Nevertheless: It is Schröder’s eleventh stop in the North American professional basketball league. He’s not far away from the record. It is still held by Ish Smith: He played for 13 different clubs in his career until 2024.
Schröder is part of a deal involving a total of four players between three clubs. Keon Ellis is also moving from Sacramento to Cleveland with the 32-year-old German world and European champion. “After careful evaluation and a clearer view of the situation in the Eastern Conference, we are convinced that the signing of Dennis and Keon strengthens our depth, increases our flexibility and enables us to build a team that has what it takes to be champions now and in the future,” said Cleveland basketball boss Koby Altman.
ESPN predicts: Less playing time for Schröder
Schröder himself is still missing the NBA title. The Kings are last in the Western Conference. His new club, on the other hand, is on course for the playoffs in the Eastern Conference, and the Cavaliers are currently in fifth place there.
The New York Times online sports portal wrote about a major reinforcement for Cleveland with a view to Schröder. However, “The Athletic” also identified a few difficulties. And the broadcaster ESPN predicted: “It is unlikely that Schröder will get anywhere near as much playing time as he did with the Kings.”
He made 40 appearances for Sacramento this season, mostly from the bench. On average, Schröder played just over 26 minutes and also averaged 12.8 points and 5.3 assists.
It is always very difficult to build such a bond as a team, as an organization, “when you know that they could send you away at any time,” Schröder also told Sky broadcaster. «At the end of the day, it’s best for me to play to be happy. I want to be happy and compete to win. Then it doesn’t matter where you are.”
