It’s been a menacing start for Dennis Schroder in the Bay Area. Since his trade to San Francisco, the Warriors are 1-3 with the latest 115-113 loss coming on Christmas Day against the Lakers. Schroder is yet to set the world alight with his performance but that could be more to the mental side of things along with the fit. That was revealed again and this time by the player himself; he laid bare his feeling of being away from his family on the special occasion.

Christmas is a time for families to come together and share warm, cozy moments. However, Schroder’s career choice made it a bit difficult this year. Despite the challenges, he made sure to connect with his family on the special day.

In an exclusive interview with Andscape, Schroder opened up about the wave of emotions he experienced this Christmas Day. “Normally, you begin celebrating at 6 or 7 p.m. So, I called them at 4 [p.m.] here,” he said. “They had their presents in Brooklyn. They sent me two gifts to my hotel that I opened up. I’m just here by myself. My family is [in BrookIyn], but they’re having a good time making sure they do it as a family and come together as well. It’s tough to miss those moments…”

He even shared a post on Instagram featuring a picture with his wife, Ellen Ziolo, and their three children—Dennis Jr., Imalia Aliyah, and the youngest, Awa, while Schroder was on FaceTime with them. Sharing the same post on his story, the German guard wrote, “Need the family with me 😢”.

As a parent, what makes it even more challenging is missing out on his 2-year-old’s recent activities. “I saw my kid who just turned 2 the first of December do so many things that I haven’t seen yet from just being away for two weeks,” he told Marc J. Spears. “Putting together whole sentences together. Talking now. It’s tough not being part of something, an event or being there on a day-to-day basis, because you’re going to miss something.”

It was nearly two weeks ago that Schroder was traded to the Golden State Warriors along with a second-round pick in exchange for De’Anthony Melton, Reece Beekman and three second-round picks. Following his arrival, the Warriors’ GM, Michael Dunleavy, hinted that they intend to keep him around for their long-term goals. That’s not surprising at all, as a popular NBA insider believes the Warriors have made a “dream acquisition.”

NBA Insider calls Dennis Schroder’s trade a “dream acquisition” for Warriors

The NBA Insider is none other than ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. While discussing Dennis Schroder’s trade in an episode on NBA Today, Windy claimed, “This is the dream acquisition” for the Dubs. If you think he meant it because of the 31-year-old’s superstar status, then you couldn’t be more wrong.

Windy pointed pointed out, “They really didn’t go up any talent here because Melton is out for the year with the torn ACL.” He believed t’s the Nets that are at a loss, because Schroder was helping them win game. So, “basically kind of giving them away,” he added.

The second thing Windy highlighted, “They had to really thread a needle here because with where they are in their salary in the aprons. Long story short, they can only do a trade where they take on $500,000 or less in salary. They were extremely fortunate that Schröder only earns $200,000 more than Melton. So this deal actually fit, slipped underneath the apron.”

Dunleavy has certainly pulled off a great deal with the veteran. While it remains to be seen how Steve Kerr will utilize him and how he fits into the squad, one thing is clear, he will be expected to make a significant impact on the team.