Lakers Guard Dennis Schroder To Miss At Least Three Weeks

Injured Los Angeles Lakers guard Dennis Schroder will sit out for at least three weeks.

Los Angeles Lakers veteran scoring guard Dennis Schroder has decided to have surgery on his right thumb, a procedure that will keep him out for three to four weeks. The surgery was needed to repair a ligament in his thumb. Schroder sustained the injury after playing just one preseason game, and there were initial fears back then that it could be a long-term injury. The Lakers’ team doctors will re-evaluate Schroder’s progress after three weeks.

The thumb surgery will keep Schroder sidelined when the Lakers start their campaign on October 18. The Lakers face an uphill climb in their first several games, as they will be going up perennial contenders like the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans, and Brooklyn Nets. The Lakers have good depth in the backcourt, but they will surely miss the shot-creating and playmaking that Schroder could provide.

Dennis Schroder, who last suited up for the Houston Rockets, already had a stint with the Lakers during the 2021-21 season. After a productive season that saw him tally 15.4 points, 3.5 boards, 5.8 assists, and 1.1 steals per game, Schroder reportedly turned down the Lakers’ contract offer of $84 million for the next four years. It was a big gamble on the part of Schroder, as he and his people believed that he has more value than what the Lakers offered.

However, he wasn’t able to get a higher or similar contract offer from other teams, signing only a one-year, $5.9 million deal with the Boston Celtics last year. This summer, Schroder agreed on a one-year, $2.6 million contract to return to the Lakers.