NBA Trade Deadline Hilariously Ruins Ex-Lakers Star’s Son’s 5th Birthday

The Trade deadline often brings surprises. This season it was no different when the Toronto Raptors decided to trade their veteran guard Dennis Schroder to the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday. The unexpected deal seemed to have taken Schroder by surprise, as it ended up ruining his plans for his son’s fifth birthday.

In an Instagram story, the former Laker posted his son Dennis Jr. sporting his father’s No. 17 Nets jersey, but the side of the cake prominently displayed a large Raptors logo. However, this did not stop Schroder from losing his sense of humor as he captioned the story: “Yes, we planned before I got traded.” An Instagram page shared the veteran guard’s story with “Unfortunate timing,” as the caption.

Although the photographs show Schroder’s son having a ball, it had to sting a little bit for sure. Prior to his trade, Dennis Schroder was in the midst of his inaugural season with Toronto. He had signed a two-year, $25.4 million contract in the offseason, aiming to address the leadership vacuum left by star point guard Fred VanVleet, who had departed for the Houston Rockets in free agency.

Dennis Schroder and the woes of the Midseason Trade

During his brief stint with the Raptors, Schroder played a crucial role as a playmaker and supplementary scorer for the youthful team. Across 51 games, he maintained average of 13.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 0.9 steals, and 1.5 three-pointers per game on 44.2% shooting. Given his veteran experience and a relatively affordable short-term contract, many anticipated Toronto retaining him. Other seasoned players on the Raptors, such as Bruce Brown and Chris Boucher, were also subjects of trade rumors, with the team purportedly seeking draft compensation.

Contrary to expectations, both Brown and Boucher remained with the Raptors. In a surprising turn of events, Schroder was traded to Brooklyn in exchange for veteran point guard Spencer Dinwiddie, who Toronto later released as part of a cost-cutting measure.

Read More: NBA Trade News: Nets Swoop in To Spoil Dennis Schroder’s Plans For Lakers Reunion

With a record of 21-31, the Nets currently hold a slim 2.5-game lead over the Raptors (19-34) in the Eastern Conference standings. Despite this, their commitment to a play-in/playoff push is heightened by the fact that they owe their 2024 first-round pick to the Houston Rockets.

The question of whether Schroder can become a lasting impact player for the franchise remains uncertain. However, he made an impressive debut, contributing 15 points, 12 assists, and three three-pointers on 46.2% shooting as Brooklyn secured a 123-103 victory over the San Antonio Spurs.

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