Dennis Schröder’s career earnings show how he bounced back from his biggest financial mistake

Dennis Schröder has quietly built one of the more interesting financial careers in the NBA over the past decade.

The German point guard, who has bounced around more teams than most players could name on a resume, has accumulated well over $100 million in career earnings since Atlanta drafted him 17th overall back in 2013.

His journey has been anything but linear, featuring a famously rejected max contract offer, multiple sign-and-trade deals, and a remarkable late-career resurgence that has him locked into guaranteed money well into his mid-30s.

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The Early Years: Earning His Stripes in Atlanta

Schröder entered the league the way most rookies do, on a modest two-year deal worth roughly $3 million total.

The Atlanta Hawks drafted him out of Germany, and like any teenager stepping into a professional locker room for the first time, he was on the lower end of the pay scale.

His first season paid him $1,348,200, and the team steadily exercised his rookie scale options as he developed into a legitimate backup and eventual starter.

By the time Atlanta locked him into a four-year, $70 million extension in October 2016, it was clear the organization saw him as a cornerstone.

That deal, signed when he was 23, guaranteed $62 million and signaled that Schröder had arrived as a real piece in the league.

His salary jumped to $15.5 million per year, a number that would define several seasons of his career.

Oklahoma City and Los Angeles: The $15 Million Years

After being moved to Oklahoma City in the summer of 2018 as part of a deal that sent Carmelo Anthony to Atlanta, Schröder continued collecting his $15.5 million checks.

He carved out a strong role alongside Chris Paul and later alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, establishing himself as one of the better backup point guards in the Western Conference during that stretch.

Then came the Los Angeles Lakers and what became one of the most talked-about contract decisions in recent NBA history. Schröder reportedly turned down a four-year, $84 million extension from the Lakers, choosing to bet on himself heading into free agency in 2021.

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The gamble did not pay off. Instead of the massive deal he was anticipating, he signed a one-year, $5.89 million contract with the Boston Celtics. That is a drop of roughly $10 million from what he had been earning, and a stark reminder of how quickly the market can turn.

The Rebuilding Years: Toronto and Brooklyn

The seasons following the Boston contract were a financial reset. Schröder signed a two-year, $25.43 million deal with Toronto in July 2023, which worked out to roughly $12.4 million per year.

It was not the superstar money he had once envisioned, but it represented stability at a point when many players his age would have been facing league minimum offers.

His time in Toronto was followed by a trade to Brooklyn in February 2024, packaged alongside Thaddeus Young in exchange for Spencer Dinwiddie.

The move was purely transactional for a Nets team going through a full rebuild, and Schröder was clearly being shuffled toward his next destination.

The Detroit Deal and the Road to Cleveland

In July 2025, everything changed. Detroit signed Schröder to a three-year, $44.43 million contract as part of a sign-and-trade with Sacramento, which then immediately flipped him to the Kings.

The deal was a significant financial step forward, pushing his annual salary back into the $13 to $15 million range. At 31 years old, securing that kind of guaranteed money was a real accomplishment, especially given the rocky few years that preceded it.

Sacramento traded him to Cleveland in February 2026 as part of a three-team deal that also involved Chicago. The Cavaliers, one of the stronger teams in the Eastern Conference, got a veteran point guard they clearly valued.

Where the Numbers Land

All told, Schröder has earned north of $117 million through the 2025-26 season according to Spotrac, with total projected career earnings pushing past $147 million once his current contract runs its course through 2028.

For a player who once appeared to have derailed his own financial future by turning down guaranteed money, the recovery has been impressive.

He has played for 11 different teams, collected paychecks from Atlanta, Oklahoma City, Los Angeles twice, Boston, Houston, Toronto, Brooklyn, Golden State, Detroit, Sacramento, and now Cleveland.

Each stop has added another chapter, and another dollar figure, to a career that has been far more resilient than many expected after that famous 2021 rejection.

At 32, Dennis Schröder is still getting paid very well to play basketball. The math, in the end, has worked out just fine.

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FAQs

How much has Dennis Schröder earned in his NBA career?

Dennis Schröder has earned over $117 million in career earnings through the 2025-26 season. With his current contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers running through 2027-28, his total projected career earnings are expected to surpass $147 million.

What is Dennis Schröder’s current salary?

Schröder is currently earning $14,104,000 in the 2025-26 season with the Cleveland Cavaliers. His salary is scheduled to rise to $14,809,200 in 2026-27 and $15,514,400 in 2027-28.

Why did Dennis Schröder lose millions in free agency?

During his time with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020-21, Schröder reportedly turned down a four-year, $84 million contract extension. When he entered free agency, the market did not respond as expected, and he ended up signing a one-year deal with the Boston Celtics for just $5.89 million, costing him tens of millions of dollars in guaranteed money.

How many teams has Dennis Schröder played for in the NBA?

Schröder has played for 11 different NBA teams, including the Atlanta Hawks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, Houston Rockets, Toronto Raptors, Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors, Detroit Pistons, Sacramento Kings, and Cleveland Cavaliers.

What international achievements has Dennis Schröder earned with Germany?

Schröder has had an outstanding international career. He helped Germany win bronze at the 2022 EuroBasket, led the national team to their first-ever FIBA Basketball World Cup title in 2023, earning MVP honors, and served as Germany’s flag bearer at the 2024 Paris Olympics. In 2025, he led Germany to the EuroBasket title.

Does Dennis Schröder own a basketball team?

Yes. Schröder is the sole owner of Basketball Loewen Braunschweig, his German hometown team that competes in the Basketball Bundesliga. He has been the majority shareholder of the club since 2018.

When did Dennis Schröder start playing professional basketball?

Schröder began his professional career in 2010 with SG Braunschweig, the farm team of Phantoms Braunschweig in Germany. He played three seasons in Germany before being selected in the 2013 NBA Draft.