Dennis Schroder trying to get more from Celtics after bungling free agency

Dennis Schroder reportedly turned down a hefty contract extension from the Los Angeles Lakers last season, instead opting to gamble on himself heading into free agency. It appears the point guard has lost that gamble, and he is now trying to salvage whatever he can.

Schroder has had some discussions recently about potentially signing with the Boston Celtics. According to ESPN’s Jordan Schultz, the Celtics have offered Schroder the $5.9 million taxpayer midlevel exception. Schroder wants the full midlevel exception of $9.5 million in addition to a second-year player option.

The Celtics don’t want to give Schroder the full midlevel exception, as that would hard cap them. What that means is that they would be forced to remain under the $143 million salary cap for the entire 2020-21 season, thus limiting the roster moves they could make until next year.

The big takeaway here is that it appears Schroder (or his agent) completely overestimated the market for himself. The 27-year-old reportedly turned down a four-year extension from the Lakers last year that was worth around $80 million. He felt he could earn more after seeing other point guards sign for more than $20 million per year.

Schroder might want to bet on himself again with the Celtics, who are need need of a starting point guard after trading Kemba Walker. Either way, it seems certain that the big pay day he was hoping for is not coming this offseason.