Dennis Schroder is about to play in his 12th NBA franchise, and there’s now exactly one team standing between him and a record that’s stood, quietly, as one of the league’s more obscure pieces of trivia.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are trading Schroder and cash to the Charlotte Hornets for Tre Mann, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania on Friday. It’s a deal built as much around history as roster fit. In Schroder, Charlotte lands an established point guard with real ties to the organization, having played in Atlanta early in his career alongside Hornets president Jeff Peterson and coach Charles Lee. The Hornets, Cavaliers, and Schroder’s representative, Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports, spent the past couple of months working out the details, a deal that also frees Cleveland up for further roster moves and keeps the team comfortably under the second tax apron, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
Cleveland’s motivations extend well beyond simply moving on from Schroder. The Cavaliers remain in active talks with James Harden and his representatives on a new multiyear deal to bring him back after a midseason trade for him helped fuel the team’s run to the Eastern Conference finals. They’re also pursuing two forwards, restricted free agent Peyton Watson and unrestricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga, moves the savings from shedding Schroder’s money could help make possible.
The Record Chase
Here’s where the trivia angle kicks in. With this trade, Schroder will suit up for his 12th career franchise—and his ninth trade, the second-most in NBA history for a single player. Sitting alone at No. 1 is Ish Smith, who has played for 13 different teams over his career. Schroder is now just one franchise behind him.
Smith’s full list of stops reads like a tour of the league itself: the Houston Rockets (2010–2011), Memphis Grizzlies (2011), Golden State Warriors (2011–2012), Orlando Magic (2012–2013), Milwaukee Bucks (2013), Phoenix Suns (2013–2014), Oklahoma City Thunder (2014–2015), Philadelphia 76ers (2015, 2015–2016), New Orleans Pelicans (2015), Detroit Pistons (2016–2019), Washington Wizards (2019–2021, 2022), Charlotte Hornets (2021–2022, 2023–2024), and Denver Nuggets (2022–2023).
Schroder’s own list is nearly as sprawling, and now includes a franchise Smith knows well too: the Atlanta Hawks (2013–2018), Oklahoma City Thunder (2018–2020), Los Angeles Lakers (2020–2021, 2022–2023), Boston Celtics (2021–2022), Houston Rockets (2022), Toronto Raptors (2023–2024), Brooklyn Nets (2024–2025), Golden State Warriors (2024–2025), Detroit Pistons (2025), Sacramento Kings (2025–2026), Cleveland Cavaliers (2026), and now the Charlotte Hornets (2026–present).
Remarkably, both men have crossed paths with several of the same franchises along the way—the Rockets, Thunder, Pistons, Warriors, and now the Hornets all appear on both lists.
Schroder Has Always Been Reliable Anywhere
Whatever the well-traveled reputation might suggest, Schroder has been anything but a fringe roster piece. He’s played at least 60 games in each of his last 12 seasons and at least 70 in each of the last three, a level of durability that’s rare even among players who stay with one team. Last season alone, split between Sacramento and Cleveland, he appeared in 70 total games, averaging 10.8 points, 4.9 assists, and 2.7 rebounds in 24.2 minutes per game.
He also brings genuine playoff experience to a franchise starving for it — 91 career postseason games, arriving in Charlotte, a team that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2016, the longest active drought in the league.
Mann, heading the other way to Cleveland, played 53 games for the Hornets last season, averaging 5.5 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 12.6 minutes per game.
For now, the record stays with Smith. But if Schroder’s career has shown anything, it’s that a 13th stop is hardly out of the question.
