Ex-Raptors guard Schröder still flying to Toronto regularly to see his family

Dennis Schröder might’ve only had a short stint with the Toronto Raptors, but it’s clear that living in Canada made a mark on him.

After signing a two-year, $26 million contract with the Raptors this offseason, Schröder spent just 51 games playing for Toronto before being shipped off to the Brooklyn Nets.

And while Schröder’s trade offered him a change of scenery on the court, it hasn’t stopped him from still having a few very important people to visit in Toronto, even during the season.

In an interview last week with the German website Kicker, the 30-year-old point guard revealed that he’s still flying back and forth between Toronto and New York regularly on his off days to see his wife Ellen and their three children, who have yet to make the move with him.

“At the moment it’s not worth bringing my wife and three children to Brooklyn, plus the two nannies, the cook and my two friends who live with us,” Schröder said, adding that he’s currently living in a hotel.

With Toronto going through a rather full rebuild, the franchise sent Schröder and veteran forward Thad Young to Brooklyn in exchange for Spencer Dinwiddie prior to this year’s NBA trade deadline last month.

Coming off a FIBA World Cup gold medal with the German national team last summer in which Schröder was named MVP, expectations were high coming into his first year with the Raptors. Ultimately, Schröder would start just four of his final 22 games for the Raptors, with the team opting for younger players in what ended up being a rebuilding year for the team.

Dinwiddie and Young were subsequently waived, with the trade serving as a chance to offer Schröder a starting role once again that he had lost in Toronto.

But despite the season in Toronto not working out the way he may have hoped, the veteran point guard didn’t seem to have any regrets about making the move to Canada in the first place.

“It was the best decision because the Raptors paid the most. City, club, situation, everything was great, we lived 30 minutes outside of Toronto. Me, my wife and my children met a lot of great people,” Schröder added in his interview with Kicker. “In Toronto, I had a good feeling when I signed the contract, but their plan for how they wanted to use me as a player changed quite quickly. I would have liked more communication, but that’s business.”

Tip-off between the Raptors and Brooklyn Nets is set for 7:30 pm ET tonight at Scotiabank Arena, Schröder’s second return to the stadium following the trade.

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