Dennis Schroder is already thinking about the finish line, even if he’s not ready to call it a day just yet.
The new Hornets guard said on the OMR podcast that he could see himself playing in the NBA for another two to four years, according to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. Schroder, who is 32, also left room for the right contract to extend that timeline even further.
When his NBA run does end, though, he knows exactly where he wants it to close out.
“People often ask me if I could come back to play in Europe, especially in the EuroLeague,” Schroder said. “But in that case, I’d be helping another club become bigger. I prefer to return to Braunschweig, where it all started, and play here.”
Schroder owns a majority stake in the German club and began his professional career there before entering the NBA in 2013. He was traded to Charlotte last week after ending last season with the Cavaliers.
Out in Golden State, Jimmy Butler’s recovery from a torn ACL is already pushing the Warriors into bigger-picture territory.
Butler is in the final year of his contract at $56.8 million and will turn 37 in September. Sean Deveney of Heavy Sports recently raised the possibility that he could be back before the calendar flips to 2026.
The longer-term question is what Golden State does next, and Joey Akeley of Sports Illustrated suggested the team could eventually use James Harden’s new Cavaliers deal as a reference point in talks with Butler.
That’s just speculation, not a sign of the Warriors’ actual plan.
Harden, who turns 37 this week, agreed to a three-year, $97 million fully guaranteed contract with Cleveland. Butler’s age and ACL injury would both factor into whatever value Golden State assigns him on his next deal.
For now, the Warriors can also simply wait. Butler’s play once he returns should tell them a lot more than any August guess ever could.
In Detroit, the Pistons suddenly have no shortage of ways to build a lineup after a busy offseason.
Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press looked at a few possible groupings, including a shooting-minded unit featuring Cade Cunningham, Isaiah Joe, Duncan Robinson, Taurean Prince and John Collins.
Sankofa also projects Collins as the likely fifth starter next to Cunningham, Robinson, Ausar Thompson and Jalen Duren, if the restricted free agent Duren is eventually back in the fold.
Detroit can also tilt toward spacing and shooting depending on the matchup.
Collins gives coach J.B. Bickerstaff another veteran option up front and, just as importantly, another lever to pull when shaping the roster around Cunningham.
In Other News...
Hornets Suddenly Have A Real Opening In A Shocking Steph Curry Scenario
The idea of Steph Curry ever being available would have sounded absurd not long ago, but the conversation has shifted enough to put a few unexpected teams into the mix. For Charlotte, the appeal is obvious: if the Warriors star gets to a point where Golden State has to think beyond sentiment, the Hornets could at least be mentioned as a team with the kind of flexibility and long-term runway that makes a bold swing possible.
Any real path, of course, still lives deep in the speculative zone. Even the framework being tossed around is built around a future date in December 2026, and the entire premise depends on Curry not signing an extension this summer. For now, it is more a reminder of how quickly the league can turn than a sign the Hornets are actually closing in on a once-in-a-generation target. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Just Got Pulled Into A Steph Curry Trade Debate
Golden States offseason has already been a little off-script, with the Warriors re-signing several players after striking out in their pursuit of Anthony Davis and LeBron James. That backdrop has only fueled more outside chatter about where the franchise is headed, and ESPNs Kendrick Perkins added to it by suggesting Steph Curry might eventually need to consider a fresh start as the Warriors try to navigate a tougher Western Conference landscape.
For Charlotte, the noise is hard to ignore because the Hornets have now been dragged into the conversation as a hypothetical landing spot. Hoops Habits Cal Durrett floated a trade framework built around Curry going to the Hornets, a kind of proposal that says as much about the leagues appetite for speculation as it does about Charlottes place in it, and it leaves one obvious question hanging over the whole thing: just how far would a team actually go to make that idea real? [Read more 🡒]