The Atlanta Hawks shook up their core this past summer by trading one-time All-Star Jeff Teague to the Indiana Pacers. The move was made so that Dennis Schrodercould slide in as Atlanta’s starting point guard. The Hawks are making sure their new starter will be around for a while –Schroder signed a four-year, $70 million extension on Wednesday, as first reported by ESPN’s Marc Stein and Zach Lowe.
Schroder announced the news himself on Twitter:
GLAD TO BE HERE 4 MORE YEARS WITH THE @atlhawks !!!! LOVE THE FANS , PPL , COACHES , ORGANIZATION & MY TEAMMATES !!! ATLANTA IS HOME !!!!
Drawing comparisons to Rajon Rondo, Schroder was taken by the Hawks with the 17th pick in the 2013 draft. He has shown flashes of being a productive player on both ends of the court, and last season often played over Teague in crunch-time situations. Schroder averaged 11 points, four assists and a steal last season while playing 20 minutes a game. The Hawks clearly envision Schroder’s game continuing to grow, and that seems very likely to happen in an expanded role.
Giving Schroder this sort of money isn’t excessive either. It’s not a gross overpay in the least bit and the length of the contract seems ideal to see if Schroder can actually be the Hawks’ answer at the position. Atlanta could’ve waited until the offseason to see how Schroder played as a starter before giving him an extension but then there is the risk that another team may swoop in and give him a more competitive offer. Extending Schroder now also kills any drama and intrigue about his future in Atlanta after this season. It should allow him to just focus on basketball and become the type of player the Hawks believe he can be.
Schroder will get his first chance at being the Hawks starting point guard on Thursday when Atlanta plays host to the Washington Wizards.
Courtesy: CBS Sports
