Amid yet another round of trade rumors, Golden State Warriors guard Dennis Schroder recently made controversial comments comparing the NBA trade deadline to “modern slavery.”
The deadline is 3 p.m. on Thursday and the Association has already seen a number of blockbuster moves take place, most notably the shocker that sent Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks and Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Schroder, who was acquired by the Warriors in a December trade with the Brooklyn Nets, discussed his thoughts on the NBA trade deadline with NBC Sports Bay Area’s Dalton Johnson, saying “business is business.”
“At the end of the day, your salary is still the same,” he said, per Johnson. “You go to a different city, of course, but at the end of the day, that’s not a real problem. That’s a luxury problem. … It’s always exciting to (the media) probably. For me, being in my 12th season, business is business. I got my own team in Germany. I know how it works. For me, it’s a business at the end of the day.”
However, as the owner of the German Basketball Loewen Braunschweig team continued, he called the NBA a “cutthroat” and “f—ed up” business.
“It’s like modern slavery,” Schroder said of the deadline. “It’s modern slavery at the end of the day. Everybody can decide where you’re going, even if you have a contract. Yeah, of course, we make a lot of money and we can feed our families, but at the end of the day if they say, ‘You’re not coming to work tomorrow, you’re going over there,’ they can decide that. They got to change that a little bit.”
Despite his critical words, the 31-year-old added that his ability to make a living playing a game he loves isn’t lost on him.
“But still grateful that we’re here and that we can live this every single day. I think everybody who’s in here is blessed,” Schroder said, according to Johnson. “But if you really think about it, it is kind of crazy that the organization can tell you, ‘We want you to be team-first, but you’re going over there.’ It’s a lot.”
Schroder Has Been Traded 5 Times in His Career
Schroder was selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the 17th overall pick during the 2013 NBA Draft and spent the first five seasons of his career with the franchise. Schroder’s played no more than two seasons with a single team since then, being traded five times, including four in-season deals and two on deadline day.
He was first moved on July 25, 2018, as part of a massive three-team transaction between the Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers and Oklahoma City Thunder that sent 10-time All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony to Atlanta and Schroder to OKC. Schroder suited up for the Thunder for two seasons, having arguably his best year during the pandemic-altered 2019-20 campaign.
The German shot a career-best 46.9% from the field and 38.5% from three-point land that season, while also tying his career-high in rebounds per game (3.6) and posting his second-best scoring numbers (18.9 points per contest) across 65 tilts (two starts). Schroder finished the campaign as the Sixth Man of the Year runner-up to Montrezl Harrell.
The veteran of eight teams landed with his third squad on Nov. 18, 2020, when Oklahoma City shipped him to the Lakers for sharpshooter Danny Green and defensive standout Jaden McDaniels. After signing with the Boston Celtics the following summer, Schroder was traded on deadline day to the Houston Rockets in February 2022.
He re-signed with Los Angeles in September 2022, inked a contract with the Toronto Raptors in July 2023 and was sent to the Nets last February on deadline day again. Schroder was most recently traded by Brooklyn to Golden State on Dec. 15, 2024, with a 2025 second-round pick in exchange for guards De’Anthony Melton and Reece Beekman, as well as a host of future draft picks.
Schroder Reportedly ‘Available’ For Trade Again
Unfortunately for the oft-traded guard, Schroder could be on the move again ahead of Thursday afternoon’s deadline.
ESPN’s Marc J. Spears reported that Schroder was “available for trade” during an appearance on Tuesday’s episode of “NBA Today.”
“What helps (the Warriors) a little bit for tomorrow is Dennis Schröder is now available for trade,” the insider said. “He has $13 million and now they can add him into a deal. They’re trying, they’re trying, they’re trying. But at some point, either they or somebody else is going to have to blink.”
Schroder has averaged 14.4 points, 5.5 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 29.8 minutes per game across 47 contests (41 starts) between the Nets and Warriors this season, along with a .418/.358/.842 shooting line. His numbers have dropped since arriving to the Bay Area though, averaging 10.6 points, 4.4 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 26.2 minutes with a .375/.322/.744 shooting line in 24 games (18 starts).
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Warriors Guard Sparks Outrage With Trade Deadline, ‘Modern Slavery’ Comments appeared first on Heavy Sports.