Long before Dennis Schroder completely bungled his free agency this summer, the veteran point guard rejected a lucrative contract extension from the Los Angeles Lakers. It is fair to wonder if Anthony Davis is pleased with the way things turned out.
According to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, Davis was frustrated at times last season with some of the looks he got (or didn’t get) when Schroder was running the Lakers’ offense. Davis was apparently a lot more pleased with the way the offense ran with Rajon Rondo two years ago.
The Lakers, of course, re-signed Rondo this offseason. Pincus notes that they consider the veteran point guard to be a “safety net” of sorts behind inexperienced guards Talen Horton-Tucker and Kendrick Nunn. L.A. also sees the value in having a proven backup with LeBron James soon turning 37 and having battled some injuries in recent years.
Russell Westbrook will obviously be in charge of the Lakers’ offense next season, but Rondo gives them a proven veteran for a variety of situations.
The Lakers could have brought Schroder back. He ended up signing with the Boston Celtics for the $5.9 million mid-level exception, so L.A. had the option of signing him to the same type of deal. They chose not to, which makes you wonder if Davis played a role in the decision.
