Dennis Schröder is staying in the Eastern Conference — but he’s no longer a Cavalier.
The crafty veteran point guard has been traded to the Hornets, sending Tre Mann back to the Cavs, according to ESPN, in what is ultimately a cost-cutting move.
In executing this deal, Cleveland will reportedly move off Schröder’s remaining two years and $30 million-plus, taking back Mann, who will make $8 million this season, which is a little under half of Schröder’s $14.8 million for the 2026-27 season.
Mann, 25, will also have a team option for 2027-28 at the same $8 million.
The Hornets are also acquiring cash considerations as part of the deal, per ESPN.
It is Cleveland’s second transaction since losing the LeBron James sweepstakes, where the Cavalier legend signed with the 76ers at the end of July after reportedly considering returns to Cleveland and Miami.
The Cavs also added former fifth-overall draft pick Mario Hezonja in free agency this summer, who spent his last four seasons starring at Real Madrid, winning the prestigious EuroLeague title in 2023 and Liga ACB titles in Spain during the 2024 and 2025 seasons. Individually, he secured an MVP award in 2026.
Schröder, a 2023 FIBA World Cup MVP and 2025 EuroBasket MVP, will turn 33 on Sept. 15 as he heads into his 14th NBA season.
The long-time veteran floor general spent time with Hornets head coach Charles Lee while he was an assistant on Mike Budenholzer’s staff from 2014-18, coinciding with four of Schröder’s first five seasons in the league.
Schröder also overlapped with Hornets general manager Jeff Peterson, who was the Nets’ assistant GM before getting hired by Charlotte in March 2024.
Schröder played with the Nets from February through December of that year.
The 6-foot-1 guard, who is just 88 games away from making 1,000 career regular season NBA appearances — a feat only achieved by 156 other players — will be joining his 12th team in the league upon reporting to Charlotte.
Last season, Schröder averaged just 8.2 points and 4.3 assists while shooting 40 percent from the field and 29 percent from deep — his least productive season since his rookie year, though he also averaged just 21.4 minutes, his lowest in a decade.
Though the Hornets emerged as one of the league’s most fun stories, dominating their way to a play-in spot by recording the league’s best net rating for the final four months of the regular season, Mann had little to do with the turnaround.
He was largely out of the rotation and logged just 12.6 minutes per contest, averaging 5.5 points and 1.6 assists, shooting 36 percent from the field and just 32.3 percent from 3.
This is the ninth time Schröder has been traded in his career, second only to Trevor Ariza, who was dealt a record 11 times.
