Veteran point guard Dennis Schröder officially signs with Raptors

Getting to work with new head coach Darko Rajakovic as well as the mix of youth and experience in the Raptors locker-room made Toronto an ideal landing spot for Dennis Schröder.

The veteran point guard was officially named a member of the Raptors on Wednesday after several media outlets reported he had signed a two-year contract worth just under $26 million US weeks ago.

The 29-year-old German said that things lined up perfectly for him to come to Toronto.

"Darko as the head coach plays a big part of it. I think the day of free agency he called me," said Schröder, who played for the Thunder when Rajakovic was an assistant coach in Oklahoma City. "I think the situation as well, you know, having young guys having a couple of veterans, I think we can compete.

"I'm just there to lead the team and try to make sure the young guys do better and compete on the highest level."

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Schröder averaged 12.6 points, 4.5 assists, and 2.5 rebounds per game for the Los Angeles Lakers last season. Those numbers came on 30.1 minutes over 66 games last season, 50 of them starts.

He is expected to become the Raptors starting point guard after Fred VanVleet signed a three-year deal with the Houston Rockets worth a reported $130 million on June 30.

Schröder said that he had breakfast with Rajakovic on Monday about what he's expected to do in Toronto.

"Leading the team, doing what a point guard should do, leading, being a role model for those young guys," said Schröder in a video call from Las Vegas where the Raptors are competing in the NBA's Summer League. "I have 10