Dennis Schroder’s young son, Dennis Jr., quickly brightened the mood after another NBA trade involving his father.
The excited boy learned they were going to Golden State and proudly wore a No. 30 Stephen Curry jersey.
“He was like, ‘Oh, we’re lucky, now it’s a good team at least,’” Schroder recalled, smiling at his 5-year-old son’s reaction. “That was the first thing, and I had to laugh because I was in a bad mood. He’s obviously a big Steph Curry fan.
He watches every game, all he does is basketball, and he’s going to be thrilled to see him. Even yesterday when I came in, he asked, ‘Was Steph Curry there?’ I said, ‘You’re not going to ask me how I’m doing?’”
Schroder is happy to watch Curry’s impressive scoring performances, but he also takes pride in being a reliable defender.
Having played alongside many great stars, Schroder is now joining Curry and Draymond Green, which will certainly ease the pressure on both of them.
“I can’t wait for Thursday to get after it with these guys,” Schroder said, after his first practice with the Warriors, his eighth NBA team. “I think it will be pretty special.”
Schroder will practice with the team again Wednesday before traveling to Memphis to make his debut with the Warriors on Thursday night against the Grizzlies. He chose jersey No. 71, inspired by his late father Axel’s favorite number, 17.
“I’ve got to stick with it, I’ll just reverse them,” Schroder said, referring to his new number after being traded from Brooklyn over the weekend.
Coach Steve Kerr would like to start Schroder alongside Curry but plans to have him play the minutes when Curry isn’t on the court.
The 31-year-old Schroder has averaged 18 points against the Warriors in the past. “Not a surprise, I’ve had enough of him,” said Kerr, who looks forward to having Schroder as a two-way player. He believes Schroder can help the team improve at closing games by keeping them organized.
“I like feisty,” Kerr said, eager for Schroder to take some pressure off Curry. “Dennis is a gamer, he’s a competitor, I like guys like that.”
General manager Mike Dunleavy hopes this partnership will extend beyond just this season.
For now, the Warriors are counting on Schroder to boost their scoring and complement Curry. Schroder is currently averaging 18.4 points and 6.6 assists this season.
“It’s no secret we need to improve offensively, and sometimes making shifts in what you’re doing and philosophically is the right way to go about things,” Dunleavy said. “So we’ll see how that unfolds… To play to his strengths, we may have to shift some things.”
The Warriors are determined to capture another championship before Curry and Green leave. Curry will turn 37 in March and is in his 16th season, while Green will be 35 in March.
Schroder is excited about playing alongside Green, a player he has faced many times before.
“Really looking forward to playing with another Hall of Famer on the court, who was always tough when he was on the other side, talking smack and being competitive,” Schroder said. Green believes the Warriors must adapt to Schroder’s style to help him adjust to his new team.
“I don’t think he was necessarily brought here to fit,” Green said. “We play a certain style of basketball that he does not really play. And I don’t think the goal is to get him to play the style of basketball that we play. We need someone who can do the things that he does. So I’m looking forward to us adjusting to him.”
In the trade, the Warriors sent injured guard De’Anthony Melton and guard Reece Beekman to the Nets. Melton will miss the rest of the season after surgery to repair his left ACL.
Golden State also received a second-round draft pick for next year, while Brooklyn got three second-round picks in 2026 and 2028 (both from Atlanta) and Golden State’s pick in 2029.
Dunleavy keeps Curry and Green updated on potential moves when necessary.
“To be clear, those guys are not banging down my door, calling me: ‘Hey, we’ve got to make a trade. We need this guy. We need that guy.’ They never do that,” Dunleavy said. “Do I keep them in the loop? Yes. Were they double thumbs up on this move? Yes.”
