Thunder guard Dennis Schroder said Wednesday he plans to leave the NBA campus for three to four weeks when his wife delivers their second child.
Schroder’s wife, Ellen, is due sometime in early August.
“I’m not gonna leave my wife by herself while she’s having a second baby,” Schroder told reporters Tuesday. “(Dennis) Jr. is still 17 months old, so I’m for sure gonna go there and support her and try as much as I can to be there for my family.”
Players are permitted to leave the NBA campus at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in the Walt Disney World Resort for excused absences (including the birth of a child). Those who leave must quarantine for four days upon returning to the Orlando campus as long as they test negative for the coronavirus each day they were off campus.
Schroder’s absence could cause him to miss multiple seeding games and could stretch into the playoffs as well.
“For me it’s tough,” Schroder said. “I love my teammates, I love basketball, but family comes first all the time. I’ll try to make something happen with the organization. I sacrifice a lot for my team, but like I said, we still gotta get on the same page that I can see my family maybe when the baby is coming. We’re going to make it work.”
Schroder, 26, is averaging 19 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game while shooting a career-best 46.8% overall and 38.1% on 3-pointers. Additionally, he’s shot 41.5% on catch-and-shoot 3-pointers, up from 35% last season and the 20th best mark among 67 players who’ve attempted at least 200.
Thanks to Schroder’s efforts, the Thunder rank No. 9 in the NBA in bench scoring while he has become a serious contender for the Kia Sixth Man of the Year Award.
In early July, Celtics forward Gordon Hayward said he planned to exit the campus as well for the birth of his fourth child. His wife, Robyn, is due in September.
