NBA training camps open in the final week of September, and between now and then, we’ll be trying to answer 20 questions about the Boston Celtics as we head into the new season. Today we begin with a closer look at the relationship between Dennis Schröder and the team as they embark on an expected one-year journey together.
Every NBA contract is a business agreement. A team and a player agree to the terms of employment, sign on the dotted lines, and then try to spend the agreed-upon time together trying to win games.
However, there is generally an added layer to the relationship that takes it beyond cold transaction. Whether it’s a young player who will develop over time or a veteran signing a multi-year deal, there is usually something that triggers an emotional investment.
That’s not necessarily the case with Dennis Schröder and the Boston Celtics.
The Celtics didn’t set out this summer to sign Schröder, and he certainly wasn’t looking at Boston’s taxpayer mid-level exception when he stepped onto the free agent stage. Circumstances, though, pushed them together, and it almost certainly won’t be for longer than a season.
Both sides know that if this goes the way it should, this will be a temporary relationship, which pushes this contract into the realm of contractualism.
What do Schröder and the Celtics owe each other?
And since T. M. Scanlon isn’t going to be sitting on the Celtics bench to figure this out, it leaves both sides trying to hash out their obligations on their own.
By signing Schröder, the Celtics inherently made certain promises. Understanding Schröder is looking for the kind of contract Boston can’t provide, the Celtics brought him on knowing his only goal is to set himself up for that next huge payday. The Celtics are, essentially, a means to an end.
By signing with the Celtics, Schröder inherently understood certain limitations. Understanding the team has long-term goals that don’t include him, Schröder came in knowing the instant he outgrows his usefulness, there’s no reason to keep him. He is, essentially, a means to an end.
So what do they really owe one another?
The Celtics point guard situation is fluid after the departure of Kemba Walker. Marcus Smart is the starting point guard and while some people believe in his ability to run a team for a full season, that belief is largely theoretical.
Beyond that, the pre-Schröder point guard depth chart included six-foot-tall Payton Pritchard and the oft-injured (and likely cap casualty) Kris Dunn. Boston needed some point guard depth but still needs to see if Pritchard can overcome his, ahem, shortcomings to be worthy of full-time backup minutes. Schröder fills in some gaps until the Celtics can figure out what they truly have.
But does Schröder take away too much opportunity from Pritchard? Do the Celtics owe Schröder a guaranteed allotment of minutes in that back up role, even if it takes minutes away from Pritchard? Are the Celtics giving Pritchard, a longer-term prospect, a fair shot if they commit to Schröder playing a certain amount of time?
And what does Schröder do with his minutes? His situation in Boston is as unique as it gets in the NBA. We’ve seen guys sign one year deals before, but Schröder isn’t some ring-chasing veteran or a middling fringe journeyman. He is doing this in pursuit of a huge payday. We all know that’s his endgame, so how does he treat his time on the floor? What does he owe Boston in terms of performance?
It’s reasonable to expect Schröder to get about 25-30 minutes per game in a backup role. The reason a bench role is best for Schröder is that it lets him shine without Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown on the floor for the maximum amount of possible playing time, allowing him to go for his own scoring for stretches.
But he’s also going to have to share the floor with Tatum, Brown, and Smart from time to time, and the ball will certainly land in his hands when he does. How does he handle those moments?
There are a lot of tentacles that sprout from this Schröder/Celtics relationship. It feels like this season could be a mutually beneficial one for both sides if they can figure out the nuance of these moments.
Schröder can help the Celtics win with his ability to score off the bench. His minutes with the starters could get interesting, but could go better than expected if he decides to go with the offensive and defensive flow in those minutes.
The Celtics can help Schröder rebuild his own value. His minutes on the floor while Pritchard sits could get interesting, but could go better than expected if Pritchard rolls with the punches and Boston gives Schröder a little latitude on going for his own stats.
In some ways they owe each other nothing, and in others, they owe a lot. Basketball morality dictates some give and take between both sides which could result in each getting a lot of what they want out of this. However, if one side oversteps those bounds, the whole thing could shatter.
In a lot of ways, throwing Schröder into the mix is jarring. He could create a butterfly effect that leads the Celtics down dark places. Boston holds the trump card in that they could just cut him if things go poorly, quickly, but neither side wants things to devolve to that point.
By figuring out what they owe one another, Schröder and the Celtics could turn this temporary relationship into a fruitful one where each side gets what it wants.
If they don’t, then it could get ugly.
