Golden State Warriors guard Dennis Schroder made a striking remark regarding the NBA trade deadline, likening the league’s player movement process to “modern slavery.” Acquired by Golden State in December, Schroder criticized the lack of player control over trades in an interview with Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area.
“It’s like modern slavery,” Schroder said. “It’s modern slavery at the end of the day. Everybody can decide where you’re going, even if you have a contract. Yeah, of course, we make a lot of money and we can feed our families, but at the end of the day if they say, ‘You’re not coming to work tomorrow, you’re going over there,’ they can decide that. They got to change that a little bit.”
Dennis Schroder likens trade deadline to ‘modern slavery’ as Warriors explore moving him
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Schroder, 31, has been the subject of trade discussions once again ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline. On Tuesday’s airing of NBA Today, ESPN’s Marc J. Spears reported that Schroder is now available for trade, with his $13 million expiring contract making him a potential asset for contending teams.
The Warriors acquired Schroder in December by sending De’Anthony Melton and three second-round picks to the Brooklyn Nets. Before the trade, Schroder was having one of the best seasons of his career, averaging 18.4 points, 6.6 assists, three rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 45.2% from the field and 38.7% from three in 23 games with Brooklyn. However, his production has declined since joining Golden State, where he is currently averaging 10.6 points, 4.4 assists, 2.3 rebounds, and a steal per game while shooting 37.5% from the field and 32.2% from three across 24 contests.
Despite his strong stance on the trade process, Schroder acknowledged the benefits of playing in the NBA.
“But still grateful that we’re here and that we can live this every single day,” Schroder said. “I think everybody who’s in here is blessed. But if you really think about it, it is kind of crazy that the organization can tell you, ‘We want you to be team-first, but you’re going over there.’ It’s a lot.”
