‘I think we can be great’: Sacramento Kings welcome Dennis Schröder
“This was the number one guy, we felt, in the league for us,” GM Scott Perry said.
Of our franchise, Mr. Dennis Schroeder. Before I pass over to Mike to him, I just want to say *** few words about Dennis and why Dennis. Uh, if you can recall my opening press conference, which now seems like *** long time ago. *** few months ago, um, I talked about this need. For this team and organization at the point guard position. I also talked about. Creating an identity. For this organization and this team and how we wanted to play. As *** reminder, those 6 things are. Competitive, tough. Team oriented. Disciplined, accountable, and professional. So when you marry those two things together. When free agency was, uh, embarking upon us, this was the number one guy we felt in the league for us that was gonna fit that bill and help us establish he’s *** building block to us establishing that sustainable success that we’re striving to, uh, to get. Uh, Dennis, throughout his career, for those of you who have followed, and I know most of you in this room have. He is very tough, energetic. He plays the point guard position really with no fear, so I have *** great deal of respect for that. I’ve watched him over the years at *** number of different organizations and, and quite frankly been on the wrong side of some of his good games. But uh he really feels *** need for us, another building block as we move forward, um, and again, I would say that all it’s another step in the process of, of building this team up, you know, this old saying that Rome wasn’t built in *** day. But You gotta start laying the right type of foundation and uh uh of people, and Dennis not only *** great basketball player, but he’s the type of person that we desire to have in this organization. So extremely once again extremely excited to have him and I want all of you to really give him *** nice warm welcome here as I turn over the mic to Mr. Dennis Sroda. Yeah, uh, first off, uh, I appreciate your words. Uh, that means *** lot to me, my family, um. I mean, it’s, it’s always, always, uh, I’m always grateful for opportunity like that um that uh organization believes in me, um, *** GM believes in me. Um, I’m always, you know, giving everything I have, uh, every single day, every single practice, every single game. I always, um, try to leave it all out there, so I’m extremely, extremely happy to be here, um, to be *** part of, you know, the Sacramento Kings moving forward, um, try to set *** culture, um, and, uh, yeah, I’m really, really, really grateful for this opportunity and uh I can’t wait to get started. OK, with that, we will uh open it up to questions. And for those of you, please introduce yourself to the dentist as well when you ask your question. Thank you. I got it, uh, Dennis, uh, I’m Sean Cunningham with KCRA. Um, welcome to Sacramento. Um, just *** minute ago hearing Scott kind of say those words, I mean, for someone who’s kind of been as well traveled in this league as you have been, what does that mean to know that they prioritized you and. You identify or you at least check some of those boxes that they’re identified that they want to bring in within this roster. I mean, uh, it means *** lot like I said, um, I’ve been, uh, 12 years in this league now, 31, got 3 kids, uh, my wife, so, um, really, really grateful, um, to be around this league, um, such *** long time first off, but to have *** GM and the organization, um, prioritize me. Um, as their point guard, um, means the world to me, so I want to give it back, of course, when I get back here, um, every single day, every single practice, uh, games to leave it all on, on the floor, and, um, yeah, give everything for this organization. And, and what would you just say? This past two years has been like, I mean I think it’s 5 teams now and during that time, I mean how, what kind of toll does that does that take on you professionally for me, like I said, um. I’m at my point, uh, in my life, uh, I always take the positive, uh, out of the situations, um, to be around, you know, um, all the owners, all the GMs, uh, all new teammates, uh, I mean, last season was 3 teams, um, and I, you know, get to meet, uh, Steph Curry, Draymond Green, then go to Detroit, Kay Cunningham, all those guys, um, and before that, you know, starting the season to go to Brooklyn. Um, and it was different roles, you know, so I had to adapt to it, but I always take the positives out of that, um, and you know my family’s always with me, we always traveling together, um, and nothing really changes for me, um, but like I said it’s, it’s *** blessing to have somebody like Scott, you know, um, seeing what I do, uh, on the court. And uh prioritize me and uh bringing me here. Hey Dennis, uh, Brendon Nunez Se on Sports. Welcome to Sacramento, Maine. Congratulations. Um, first of all, just what kind of were your impressions of this roster as *** whole? How good do you think you can be and, you know, do you have relationships with some of the guys on the roster already? I mean, uh, I know Zach, uh, Zach Levine *** little bit, you know, Debo as well, um, couple of, uh, of my new teammates, they with Mark Balterstein, our agent. Um, so, uh, yeah, I’m looking forward to meeting, uh, everyone, um, but I think we can be great, um, we got *** lot of talent in this room, um, I think we just gotta, you know, build the chemistry all together and prioritize winning, uh, making sure that every single game counts and we wanna go out there and, um. Make sure we beat everybody’s ***, um. And uh that’s uh what we that’s what we’re gonna do. Scott, you talk about wanting competitiveness that seems to fit into that. Absolutely. You know that’s music to my ears when I heard that. Yeah, no. Obviously, we talked *** lot about that. In terms of this season being so important that when people come to see the Kings play home on the road, that they know they’re gonna get *** very tough, hard playing team that plays together, that leaves it all out on the floor, each and every night. And we can live with the results if we do that. And this guy, we, we believe strongly is gonna be the catalyst to that. Along with obviously the rest of the team, but you need *** leader at that point guard position. I think Dennis is gonna definitely provide that. And yeah, you mentioned something like the intangibles there, but saying he number one guy in free agency. What about him stylistically? Do you feel like made him *** good fit with this group? I, I, you know, where I’m from. And how I learned and grew up and playing the game in places like Detroit, Michigan. This guy embodies that, you know, you play, you pick up 94 ft. You very com combative in *** good way, uh, on the court and so that just really resonated with not only my personality, but Coach Christie’s personality, uh, our entire organization and what we’re building here, uh, we want the more individuals we can get like that and play that kind of way. The closer we get to establishing the true identity that we want for this basketball team. Hey Dennis, uh, Jeremiah Solms in sports Radio Service. Welcome to Sacramento, um. The opportunity here in Sacramento, uh, how exciting is it for you to, you know, more than likely have *** very expanded role at the point guard position kind of being looked to as, as the guy at the position here right now, um, is that an exciting opportunity for you at this point in your career and, um, yeah, if you could just speak to the opportunity here. Yeah, I mean to be *** starting point guard in the NBA, I think is. I mean you can ask for more um and then to go out there every single night you know to establish *** um culture how we wanna play um and like Scott said to be the leader to you know make sure we do it every single night, um, being in the voice with all those other guys in the in the locker room is um all you can ask for and um like I said I’m gonna be. Uh, I’m gonna be really excited when I come back, um, you know, to glue with those guys, and then, um, yeah, every single opportunity we get, we try to compete. Hey Dennis, Deuce Mason, how are you? Um, how do you feel like you can impact this team most, especially since they needed *** point guard in *** big way? Uh, I mean, if you watch me play, uh, the last couple of years, I always, um, do the little things, um, defensively 94 ft picking up, making sure we play with energy on the defensive end, on the on the offensive end, um, making sure you put your teammates in position pushing the ball, pushing the pace, um, I mean if I have to take uh 1015 shots *** game, uh, because the game. Uh, tells me to, I do it, but, um, other, other than that, I always try to make sure I control the game, um, put my teammates in position to be great, and, um, I mean, the most important to win games. Dennis, welcome, uh, Jason Anderson with the Sacramento Bee. um, first for you and then Scott, if I could follow up with you, uh, you know, you’ve talked about kind of your, your path and your travels *** little bit. How much have you craved? You know, kind of the situation that you’ve spoken to where you know you feel wanted you feel prioritized and and like the opportunity is is what you want like how much have you kind of desired that uh as you’ve moved around the league in recent years? I mean, I gotta say before uh Brooklyn Detroit, all those uh teams, um, I felt always great um I’m you know not disrespecting anyone um but to have this commitment, uh, from an organization from Scott. That uh is is what I didn’t had the last couple of years and um like I always, always say I’m gonna um make sure I’m gonna uh be paying for that um and and all those little things I bring every single day um but it’s it’s it’s, it’s *** big opportunity, um, for me, for the organization for the team to be great and um I’m gonna give everything I have to to be great this season. And, uh, Scott, as you look at at what more you guys can do, does it feel like you’re done? Does it feel like you have other moves you can make? Um, I know *** lot was made about like retaining the MLE in this deal, but it’s *** little unclear like how much of that you guys can use with, you know, the aprons and the, the luxury tax stuff. Like, can you walk us through just *** little bit of where you guys are at with that? Well, obviously the free agent signing was the second. Second part of our process, the first being about *** week and *** half ago with the draft, so we felt we added, uh, some very good young players who have *** chance to contribute as rookies this year, uh, as was noted before, they’re 22 and 23 years old, um, so they have more experience than *** lot of the 18 and 19 year old guys and they’re *** little more physically mature. So we like that. We felt that uh that gives us *** chance to get better. said all along, the key to getting the point guard and this, this guy was the key to that. And from this point on, you’ve heard me say this many times, we’re gonna be. Both opportunistic and prudent as we survey uh the landscape in terms of adding any additional pieces to the team so uh we’ll figure that out as the next days and weeks go by but uh I like where we’re at today and that’s what I wanna, you know, finish with that and we’ll we’ll see what tomorrow brings. Back over here Dennis, um, Brandon Benitez here up on stage, uh, CBS 13. Welcome to Sacramento. Just curious about any impressions that you had any time you had to visit Sacramento, what was the atmosphere like and if there was anything that stuck out to you in in your trips here? Yeah, uh, I mean defense is, uh, the first thing, uh, what comes to mind, uh, when you hear the Sacramento Kings, um, always loud and then always when Keegan Murray scored, uh. He and Murray and I kinda like that and. Uh, every time when I was on the bench, I was, uh, I mean he was going and I was like having *** smile on my face, um, that was, uh, pretty, I mean, unique because he’s with my agent Mark Potterstein as well, um, but like I said, the fans, uh, is great and, uh, that’s all you can ask for. um, I every time when I came to Sacramento I stayed in the hotel, uh, walked *** little bit with my wife when we came here. But um that’s that’s that’s it. I’m sure there’s *** chant ready for you. It’s just gonna take *** little bit of time. As for Scott, yeah right? as for Scott, uh, I’m curious, *** lot of players have been pretty vocal about the CBA and I’m just curious about your experience throughout this offseason of any added degree of difficulty. What’s that looked like trying to navigate the good and the bad of of the CBA? It’s never been an easy task since I’ve been in the league, to be honest with you. You know, *** lot of his Being written and talked about now with the 1st and 2nd aprons, which makes things challenging, uh, to say the least, but, um, you know, I, I, I approached this offseason just like any other time I’ve had since I’ve been in the league again with, uh, *** positive outlook trying to figure out how we can get something accomplished instead of saying. Why we’re not gonna get something accomplished, so that’s how I look at it. Hey, Dennis back here as well. Kevin John, ABC 10. Welcome to SAC. Um, my question for you is, you’ve been in the league for *** significant amount of time, played on, uh, several teams at this point in your career. Do you still feel that there, you have to prove something? Do you still have *** chip on your shoulder? And if so, how do you embrace that and go about that? Uh, chip on my shoulder, I mean, I, I, I got my own legacy, um, every year, every day when I wake up, I try to be 1% better. Um, it don’t matter if it’s in basketball in life, um, I just, I just try to be, um, try to be great every single day for my family, um, of course now for organization who really wants me here. But um I don’t, I don’t have to prove anything. I mean, I’m from Germany, Braunschweig to be here 12 years and now I’m signing *** 3 year contract is um where I’m from it’s, it’s, it’s unique, so, uh, yeah, nothing to prove. Dennis, just *** quick follow up. I, I wanted to ask about, uh, playing with somebody like Sabonis who’s so, uh, you know, instrumental in getting the offense rolling. It is, is he kind of *** unicorn in his own right? Have you played anybody with anyone like him? I was trying to go through the history in my mind here of who you played with, and I wasn’t landing on anyone. No, I mean, he’s, he’s unique, uh, how he pushes the pace when he gets the rebound. Um, gluing everybody together, um, hitting people back door cuts, you know, and great passes, uh, really physical, big who set screens, um, great in the pocket, um, can shoot it, you know, I mean, he’s, he’s unique, so I’m really looking forward, uh, to compete with him, um, we had *** couple of battles in Europe as well, so. Uh, now he’s on my side. Um, we’re on the same side, so really looking forward, um, to compete with him. Perfect. Thank you. Yes sir. is
‘I think we can be great’: Sacramento Kings welcome Dennis Schröder
“This was the number one guy, we felt, in the league for us,” GM Scott Perry said.
Updated: 2:35 PM PDT Jul 9, 2025
The Sacramento Kings have struggled to find a suitable replacement at the point guard position following the De’Aaron Fox trade. New General Manager Scott Perry believes veteran guard Dennis Schröder will fill the hole in the roster.After completing a sign and trade with the Detroit Pistons on Monday, Perry introduced Schröder in a press conference Tuesday as the team’s top target in free agency. “This was the number one guy, we felt, in the league for us,” Perry said. He described Schröder as a building block in establishing the team’s success and praised him for his competitiveness and “combative” playstyle, which resonated with the organization’s goals for the team this season.By signing him to a three-year, $45 million contract (the third year is unguaranteed), the Kings commit to a player who has played for five teams over the last two seasons. “To have a GM and organization prioritize me as their point guard means the world to me,” Schröder said. “I think we can be great…we just gotta build the chemistry all together and prioritize winning.”The 12-year veteran, who finished the 2024-25 season averaging 13.1 points, 2.6 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 0.9 steals per game, addresses the Kings’ needs at the point guard position and helps build the team’s new identity, Perry said. “You need a leader at the point guard position and I think Dennis is going to definitely define that,” Perry said.The Kings now have a guard with playoff experience to pair with DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Domantas Sabonis, a key playmaker this season.“He’s unique, so I’m really looking forward to compete with him,” Schröder said about playing with Sabonis.After adding young talent in the draft like Nique Clifford and Maxime Raynaud and trading for Nuggets’ player Dario Saric, Perry is happy with the team, for now. “I like where we are at today… we will see what tomorrow brings,” he said.“We are going to be both opportunistic and prudent as we survey the landscape in terms of adding any additional pieces to the team,” Perry added.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
The Sacramento Kings have struggled to find a suitable replacement at the point guard position following the De’Aaron Fox trade. New General Manager Scott Perry believes veteran guard Dennis Schröder will fill the hole in the roster.
After completing a sign and trade with the Detroit Pistons on Monday, Perry introduced Schröder in a press conference Tuesday as the team’s top target in free agency.
“This was the number one guy, we felt, in the league for us,” Perry said. He described Schröder as a building block in establishing the team’s success and praised him for his competitiveness and “combative” playstyle, which resonated with the organization’s goals for the team this season.
By signing him to a three-year, $45 million contract (the third year is unguaranteed), the Kings commit to a player who has played for five teams over the last two seasons.
“To have a GM and organization prioritize me as their point guard means the world to me,” Schröder said. “I think we can be great…we just gotta build the chemistry all together and prioritize winning.”
The 12-year veteran, who finished the 2024-25 season averaging 13.1 points, 2.6 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 0.9 steals per game, addresses the Kings’ needs at the point guard position and helps build the team’s new identity, Perry said.
“You need a leader at the point guard position and I think Dennis is going to definitely define that,” Perry said.
The Kings now have a guard with playoff experience to pair with DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Domantas Sabonis, a key playmaker this season.
“He’s unique, so I’m really looking forward to compete with him,” Schröder said about playing with Sabonis.
After adding young talent in the draft like Nique Clifford and Maxime Raynaud and trading for Nuggets’ player Dario Saric, Perry is happy with the team, for now.
“I like where we are at today… we will see what tomorrow brings,” he said.
“We are going to be both opportunistic and prudent as we survey the landscape in terms of adding any additional pieces to the team,” Perry added.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel