The Sacramento Kings may have just made their biggest mistake of the 2025 NBA free agency by signing 31-year-old Dennis Schröder to a three-year, $45 million deal, a move that has left fans puzzled and critics unconvinced. Coming off a turbulent season where Schröder played for three different teams—Detroit, Golden State, and Brooklyn—his declining efficiency and inconsistency have raised serious questions about Sacramento’s judgment. With the Kings parting ways with franchise cornerstone De’Aaron Fox, handing the reins to a journeyman guard whose prime is behind him feels like a step backward for a team desperately trying to stay relevant in a stacked Western Conference.
Schröder’s recent performances have done little to inspire confidence. In the 2024–25 season, he averaged 13.1 points and 5.4 assists across 75 games but did so with declining shooting splits—just 40.6% from the field and 34.2% from deep. While he had a brief surge with Brooklyn (averaging 18.4 points in 23 games), he regressed notably during his stint with Golden State and Detroit, where his 3-point percentage dropped as low as 30.2%. These fluctuations underscore the risk of investing significant cap space in a player known for inconsistency. His playmaking numbers may seem decent on paper, but they come without the stability or leadership the Kings need from a lead guard.
Dennis Schroder names biggest Kings’ mistake
The Kings’ decision to sign Schröder comes as part of a larger reshuffling, but rather than stabilizing the roster, it seems to have added more uncertainty. Sacramento’s sign-and-trade deal with Detroit brought in Schröder but cost them a 2026 conditional second-round pick and a 2029 second-rounder. The move suggests a front office scrambling for answers rather than executing a coherent long-term vision. With Schröder’s guaranteed $33 million set to weigh heavily on their books, Sacramento’s flexibility to pursue more impactful upgrades is now limited, especially with the team already projected to be over the salary cap.
Equally baffling is the front office’s inability to address glaring roster gaps, most notably at the center position. The decision to trade veteran Jonas Valanciunas to Denver in exchange for Dario Saric only adds to the instability. Saric, more suited to a backup stretch-four role, will now have to fill in at center in a conference stacked with dominant big men. Though the Kings also brought in Drew Eubanks on a one-year deal, neither Saric nor Eubanks can replicate Valanciunas’ interior presence or rebounding prowess. Sacramento’s frontcourt now looks both underwhelming and ill-equipped to compete physically with elite teams like Denver, Minnesota, or Oklahoma City.
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This underwhelming free agency approach is especially frustrating when considering how promising the Kings looked just two years ago. With a dynamic backcourt of Fox and Tyrese Haliburton, the franchise appeared to be on the rise. But now, Fox is gone, Haliburton was traded long ago, and the current roster construction lacks a clear direction. Relying on Schröder as a lead guard means placing trust in a player with a history of short-term stints and limited postseason success. Furthermore, with few proven playmakers behind him, the Kings are left hoping that rookie Devin Carter can somehow take a leap beyond expectations.
Adding to the disappointment is Sacramento’s inability to secure any major upgrades elsewhere. While the team is reportedly pursuing Jonathan Kuminga from Golden State, no deal has materialized. There have also been rumors about exploring trades involving DeMar DeRozan or even Domantas Sabonis, but nothing concrete has come out of these speculations. These vague pursuits only highlight the lack of a coherent plan, and it’s unclear how the Kings intend to assemble a playoff-caliber roster before training camp.
Financially, the Kings have boxed themselves into a corner. With Schröder’s $15 million average annual salary, the mid-level exception is nearly maxed out, and they have limited room left for additional moves. While the biannual exception remains a potential tool, it’s unlikely to yield a significant contributor. Sacramento’s margin for error was already thin, and this offseason has narrowed it even more. For a team that finished 40-42 last season and missed the playoffs, failing to secure a real needle-mover in free agency is a major misstep.
Sacramento’s moves this offseason have left fans nostalgic for what could’ve been. The team once boasted a young, talented core that gave hope to one of the NBA’s most loyal but long-suffering fanbases. Now, they are left with a confusing mix of aging veterans and unproven prospects, with no clear path forward. Dennis Schröder might bring flashes of veteran savvy, but he is far from the answer Sacramento was looking for, and his signing could go down as the franchise’s most regrettable decision in the 2025 free agency period.
