Dennis Schroder’s stay in Cleveland may be nearing its end. The Cavaliers are exploring multiple trade avenues involving the veteran guard as they work to open up financial flexibility for a run at free agents Jonathan Kuminga and Peyton Watson, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Schroder split the 2025-26 season between Sacramento and Cleveland, landing with the Cavs ahead of February’s trade deadline and averaging 10.8 points, 4.9 assists and 2.7 rebounds across 70 total games between the two stops.Moving his salary would help Cleveland chase Kuminga, whose $24.3 million team option was declined by Atlanta, and Watson, a restricted free agent whose rights still sit with Denver. The Hornets have previously shown interest in Schroder, and there is now talk that a trade involving him could take shape as the Cavs’ pursuit of both forwards heats up.
| Category | Details |
| Player | Dennis Schroder |
| Current Team | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| Rumored Team | Charlotte Hornets |
| Contract Status | 3-year deal signed with Sacramento in July 2025; roughly $33.26M guaranteed, ~$14.81M average annual salary |
| Salary Cap Hit | ~$14.81 million (AAV) |
| Trade Likelihood | Active, ongoing internal discussions per Cleveland.com |
| Latest Insider Update | Chris Fedor (Cleveland.com): Cavs “continue to discuss various trade packages involving Schroder” |
Why Dennis Schroder’s situation has put Cavaliers under pressure
Dennis Schroder. Image via: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
Schroder enters the final stretch of a contract that already has Cleveland thinking ahead. He turned in a solid two-stop 2025-26 season, splitting time between Sacramento and the Cavaliers after a February trade sent him east, and settled into a steady backup point guard role once he arrived.That steadiness is exactly what makes him movable. Cleveland has other options behind the starting backcourt, and Schroder’s money is more useful to the front office as leverage right now than as a roster piece.
| Player | Prior Team | Free Agency Status | Signing Likelihood |
| Jonathan Kuminga | Atlanta Hawks | Unrestricted (Atlanta declined $24.3M team option) | Rising, tied to Cleveland clearing cap room |
| Peyton Watson | Denver Nuggets | Restricted (rights held by Denver) | Uncertain, likely requires a sign-and-trade |
The move isn’t built around a return package so much as clearing the runway. Cavaliers sources tell Cleveland.com the front office is testing trade packages centered on Schroder specifically to gain financial flexibility aimed at free agents Jonathan Kuminga and Peyton Watson.Kuminga became an unrestricted free agent once Atlanta declined his $24.3 million team option, and he’s coming off a season where he averaged 12.3 points on strong efficiency in just 16 Hawks appearances. Watson remains a restricted free agent whose rights sit with Denver, which likely means any Cleveland pursuit would require a sign-and-trade rather than a straight signing. Trimming Schroder’s number is the mechanism that makes chasing either one realistic.
What Cleveland is offering Kuminga and Watson
There’s no roster or draft package on the table here, since the Cavs aren’t trading for either forward. What they’re offering is opportunity: real minutes at forward, a rotation with a frontcourt hole left by Dean Wade’s departure to Philadelphia, and cap room created by moving off Schroder’s salary.Kuminga fits that gap directly. He’s a 22-year-old forward who can play up a position, which lines up with what Cleveland has been missing since Wade left. Watson’s fit isn’t detailed in the brief beyond his restricted free agent status and Denver’s hold on his rights, so what Cleveland would specifically offer him stays speculative until more is known.
What clearing Schroder’s money gets Cleveland
Freeing up Schroder’s roughly $14.81 million average salary is the whole point of this exercise. That number, even if the two source instances disagree on the contract’s total value, is real breathing room for a team trying to make a run at two frontcourt free agents at once.It also solves a roster problem beyond cap math. Cleveland is light at forward after Wade’s exit, which is part of why it already added Mario Hezonja and why Kuminga and Watson, both capable of playing up a spot, are appealing beyond just their price tags.
Where the Schroder trade market stands
The clearest lead in the brief is Charlotte. The Hornets have previously shown interest in Schroder, though nothing in the reporting confirms active talks or a package being discussed between the two sides right now.Beyond Charlotte, the picture is thin. Schroder was previously floated as a possible salary piece in a LeBron James pursuit, but the current reporting frames him as someone Cleveland wants off the books, not someone with a confirmed destination yet.