The Golden State Warriors have rang in the NBA's annual season of trades by acquiring guard Dennis Schroder and a second-round draft pick from the Brooklyn Nets, in exchange for the injured DeAnthony Melton and three second-round picks, according to leading NBA insider Shams Charania.
In a tweet, Charania referred to trading for Schroder as a "priority" for the Warriors.
"The Warriors envision starting lineups with Dennis Schroder and Stephen Curry in the backcourt, with Schroder able to alleviate ball-handling responsibilities at point guard," he wrote.
Schroder will likely slot into lineups as a Melton replacement, with the latter's scoring being sorely missed late into games ever since he sustained a season-ending knee injury in November.
It might not be the only trade they make in the coming weeks.
"I'm told they remain active in the hunt for a star player, and they can aggregate Schröder's contract in a bigger move later this season," said Charania on Saturday night's broadcast of NBA Countdown.
For now, though, Warriors fans seem very pleased that the team made the deal, and likely justifiably so.
Schroder, after playing well while leading his native Germany to a 4th-place finish at this year's Summer Olympics, has carried that momentum into the regular season and is currently having his best year yet.
As of writing, he is currently averaging 18.4 points per game on 45.2% shooting from the field and 38.7% from the 3-point line while also contributing 6.6 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game, stats that are all at- or near-career highs for the eleventh-year guard.
Athletic Alchemy, whose 77,000 subscribers make him the largest YouTube channel exclusively covering the Warriors, reacted very positively when he heard of the trade. In a video published Saturday afternoon, he heavily praised Schroder for his athleticism, defense, and ability to drive to the rim.
"Christmas has come early for Dub Nation," he said. "Give [Warriors General Manager] Mike Dunleavy his flowers."
Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images
