Dennis Schröder has found a new team — again.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are trading the veteran point guard to the Charlotte Hornets for Tre Mann and cash, league sources told The Athletic on condition of anonymity because the deal has not been finalized. It will be the 12th team Schröder has played for in his soon-to-be 14-year NBA career.
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With the Cavs in pursuit of Denver Nuggets restricted free agent Peyton Watson, the Schröder deal opens up salary space that could bring them closer to a sign-and-trade deal. A league source close to Watson said this trade improves the odds of him landing with the Cavs. The Milwaukee Bucks and the LA Clippers are also known to be pursuing the 23-year-old wing.
Cleveland will likely make at least one other offseason move: re-signing free-agent point guard James Harden, who they acquired last season in a trade with the Clippers for Darius Garland. Harden declined his $42.3 million player option in June and is expected to return to Cleveland on a new contract, but he is waiting to sign to give the Cavs financial flexibility, according to a league source who spoke on condition of anonymity because they aren’t authorized to talk about ongoing deliberations.
The trade puts Cleveland $29.7 million below the first apron, but the Cavs would still need to clear cap room via another trade to realistically add both Watson and Harden. Cleveland could take Mann into the trade exception it created in the Lonzo Ball trade and create a $14.8 million exception for Schröder.
The Cavs might also be able to acquire free-agent forward Jonathan Kuminga, who they have been linked to, in a straight-up sign-and-trade with the Atlanta Hawks for Mann, but that would require the Hawks to play ball and Kuminga to reduce his salary expectations. As The Athletic reported last month, Kuminga was seeking a salary much closer to what he would have earned had the Hawks picked up his option, in the neighborhood of $20 million to $23 million.
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The Cavs acquired Schröder as part of a three-team deal before February’s trade deadline, sending a second-round pick to the Chicago Bulls and forward De’Andre Hunter to the Sacramento Kings for Schröder, Keon Ellis and Emanuel Miller, who they waived a few weeks later. The veteran guard played in 30 games for the Cavs and started three, averaging 8.2 points and 4.3 assists in 21.4 minutes per game. He played in each of Cleveland’s three playoff series, but averaged only 3.3 points in three games in the Eastern Conference finals against the New York Knicks.
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Schröder has long been a force on the international basketball stage, leading Germany to the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup championship and last summer’s EuroBasket title as the tournament MVP both times. He’s heading into the second year of a three-year, $45 million contract (with a partial guarantee in the final season).
Schröder was drafted in the first round by the Atlanta Hawks in 2013, where he spent five seasons. In addition to the Hawks, Cavs, Kings (and potentially the Hornets), Schröder has also suited up for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Lakers, Brooklyn Nets, Toronto Raptors, Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets. He had his best season in 2017-18, his final year in Atlanta, where he averaged 19.4 points, 6.2 assists and 3.1 rebounds in 67 games, all starts.
Mann, originally selected with the 18th pick of the 2021 draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder, is now headed to his third franchise. The 25-year-old point guard spent parts of three seasons with the Thunder before getting dealt to the Hornets as part of a deal to acquire Gordon Hayward. Mann appeared in 53 games for the Hornets last season, but saw his minutes decline after Charlotte acquired Coby White at the trade deadline. He averaged 5.5 points and 1.6 assists on 36-percent shooting.