Looking at the Toronto Raptors’ trade sequence leading up to the trade deadline this past season, that’s how it felt. In order to get rid of Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby, they made some huge transactions, acquired some draft picks, and became younger. A third trade for the future was also made, adding Kelly Olynyk, a shooting big, to give Scottie Barnes and company the room they needed to grow (while also taking a wasted shot at Ochai Agbaji).Their fourth transaction, which sent Spencer Dinwiddie—whom the Raptors promptly waived—and point guards Dennis Schroder and Thaddeus Young to the Brooklyn Nets, stood out.Schroder was having a good season for the Raptors, so it was an unexpected move that he was let go for nothing. Toronto took this action since Dinwiddie’s contract was about to expire while Schroder had a $13 million contract that ran through 2024–2025. This summer, there was more cap space available after Schroder’s departure.Looking back, though, the transfer seems dubious in the extreme, largely because to Dennis Schroder’s stunning supremacy at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.Germany finished 3-0 in pool play to earn a top seed as the teams advanced to the Olympic Tournament knockout stages, despite being in the same group as the host nation France, the silver medallists from the Tokyo Olympics three years prior.In front of a surprised audience, Germany defeated Brazil, Japan, and most recently France in quick succession, leading by as much as 21 points at one point and winning by 14 points. Germany doesn’t have a single All-top on its roster, but other teams have top players, and still the 2023 World Cup Champions are winning every game.Although other players have contributed to their success, such as Franz Wagner’s possible breakthrough and Daniel Theis’s mysterious relevance, Dennis Schroder has undoubtedly been Germany’s finest player—better than any other player on the pitch.Schroder bursts into action in the somewhat modified FIBA international basketball play, darting into the lane and wreaking havoc on opposing defences. He has perfect touch from floater range and around the rim, and he feels at ease pulling up at the shorter 3-point line. He is scoring 19.7 points a night on average, shooting 55% from the field, 41% from three-point range, and flawless from the free throw line.Schroder is more than just a scorer, though; he also leads the team in assists because of his ability to cut into the paint, creating space for teammates and setting them up for easy baskets. Players who are not in the NBA, like Johannes Voigtmann and Isaac Bonga, are in a prime position to grab and score from Schroder’s passes.Germany has already won three games by ten or more. They will play a weak opponent in the quarterfinals—possibly South Sudan or a depleted Greece squad—and avoid Team USA until the gold medal match. In France, Dennis Schroder has enhanced his skill set.In fairness to the Toronto Raptors, Dennis Schroder had not improved since his February trade, but it is obvious that they could have gotten a lot more for the German point guard had he remained in the lineup. He appears to be a Top-20 point guard in the league right now, and the league would want him for his ability to pass with confidence and drive, score, and shoot.
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