Dennis Schroder believes his move from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Charlotte Hornets will give him a better opportunity to contribute after a limited role in Cleveland.
Schroder described Charlotte as “a better situation for me” in an interview with Braunschweiger Zeitung, as reported by Hoops Rumors on Monday. The veteran guard is set to join the Hornets after spending the second half of the 2025-26 season with the Cavaliers.
“When you have two legends in your position who bring the ball up the court and play a lot of isolation, then it’s just difficult,” Schroder said, referring to Donovan Mitchell and James Harden. He added that he was in “an extremely difficult role” after Cleveland acquired him from Sacramento at the February trade deadline.
Schroder played 30 games for Cleveland, starting three, and averaged 8.2 points, 4.3 assists and 2.3 rebounds in 21.4 minutes per game. He shot 40.1% from the field, 29.0% from three-point range and 86.1% from the free-throw line.
His Cleveland stint followed 40 games with Sacramento, where Schroder averaged 12.8 points and 5.3 assists in 26.4 minutes per game while shooting 40.8% from the field and 34.3% from three. Across the two teams, he finished the season with 10.8 points and 4.9 assists in 70 games.
The Cavaliers went 52-30 during the regular season and reached the Eastern Conference finals, where they were swept by the New York Knicks. Schroder said he was satisfied with his short tenure in Cleveland, describing the team’s run to the conference finals as “cool.”
Charlotte offers a different backcourt structure following a major offseason overhaul. The Hornets traded LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves and Miles Bridges to the Phoenix Suns, removing two of their highest-usage players from last season’s 44-38 team.
Coby White is expected to handle the starting point-guard responsibilities, with Schroder projected to provide the primary backup minutes. White played only 21 games for Charlotte last season but averaged 15.6 points and 3.0 assists while shooting 46.1% from the field and 39.1% from three.
The Hornets also added Naz Reid, Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale through their offseason trades while drafting Hannes Steinbach No. 14 overall and Christian Anderson Jr. No. 18. Schroder said he is particularly looking forward to mentoring the two German prospects, who have represented Germany internationally.
“For them, it’s obviously a blessing to have someone to chat with,” Schröder said. “I could have used that when I entered the league.”
Schroder, 32, enters his 13th NBA season after averaging 13.7 points and 4.9 assists across 912 career games. He has also played for Atlanta, Oklahoma City, Los Angeles, Boston, Houston, Toronto, Brooklyn, Golden State, Detroit, Sacramento and Cleveland during his NBA career.
