The Dennis Schroder era at the Golden State Warriors hardly went according to plan, but it was also an incredibly short one and is now far removed after he was traded in the blockbuster Jimmy Butler deal in early February.
Schroder has now joined his second team since exiting the Warriors, having signed a three-year, $44.4 million deal with the Sacramento Kings in free agency after finishing the season as a member of the Detroit Pistons.
Yet it seems like Schroder's time with Golden State was so forgettable that it's actually being stored in the memory bank of many for all the wrong reasons.
Dennis Schroder is still catching strays for his disastrous Warriors tenure
On a recent episode of the Warriors Plus Minus podcast featuring Tim Kawakami and Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic, Schroder's name came up multiple times as an example of a player that fit poorly with the franchise.
In particular, Schroder was mentioned in comparison to De'Anthony Melton who Golden State is expected to sign on a minimum contract once Jonathan Kuminga's restricted free agency is resolved.
“Real pro, absolute pro (Melton is). Just in a way that maybe Dennis Schroder was not. I keep hitting on Schroder. I hate saying it. He's got an edge to him. Sometimes I like it because I think he really plays with it. But when he misses shots and he's got that edge, it's not a good combination," Kawakami said.
Part of the Schroder discussion comes from this being a full circle moment for the Warriors. After signing Melton last offseason only to see him go down with a season-ending knee injury after just six games, the 27-year-old was traded along with multiple second-round picks to the Brooklyn Nets for Schroder.
Fast-forward to now and Golden Stare are again looking to sign Melton in free agency, proving just how good a fit player and franchise were for each other in such a short time which included two starts next to Stephen Curry in the back court.
As for Schroder, his fit with Curry was a disaster from the get-go when the Warriors lost by 51 to the Memphis Grizzlies in his team debut. The veteran point guard would go on to average 10.6 points, 2.3 rebounds and 4.4 assists in his 24 games with Golden State, shooting just 37.5% from the floor and 32.2% from 3-point range.
Perhaps it's time to stop giving Schroder criticism for his production (or lack thereof) in the Bay, but Melton's likely return does offer an obvious comparison that isn't easily ignored given the trade last December.