Most NBA players averaging 17.5 points and 13.5 rebounds per game don't get benched. But in the case of Cavaliers big man Andre Drummond, his presence is no longer wanted or needed in Cleveland.
A lesser part of the James Harden blockbuster trade involved blossoming big man Jarrett Allen going to the Cavaliers, and he's impressed in a small sample size, including 23 points, 18 rebounds and 5 blocks in his first start in Cleveland. As ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowksi reported, a transition to the 22-year-old Allen as their long-term center would also involve limiting Drummond's minutes, which the two parties agree is not fair to the two-time All-Star.
Besides, why have such an imposing interior presence sitting on your bench when you can move him for assets and allow him to continue his career with another team? Drummond is still 27 years old. He has averaged at least 15 points and 13 rebounds per game in five of his last six seasons. And for a playoff-bound team looking for a big — or a team that can afford to take on an expensive yet expiring salary as they look toward the future — Drummond and his $28.7 million expiring contract make for an intriguing target. Wojnarowski added that "a number of teams are interested," though didn't specify any of those organizations and added that there aren't any serious discussions at this point.
Let's look at a handful of teams who could be intrigued by the option of Drummond and call up Koby Altman to work out a deal or try their luck and wait for the buyout market. Because of his huge contract, it may be difficult to make a trade between just two teams or a trade at all, which leaves the buyout market as an option, albeit one that the Cavs wouldn't prefer (via Shams Charania).
Boston Celtics
Danny Ainge is reportedly looking to make an upgrade at the big man position, currently led by Tristan Thompson.(Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)When Drummond was traded to the Cavaliers at the 2019-20 deadline, then-Cavs big man Tristan Thompson was pretty excited.
Would he have a similar reaction if the Celtics were able to land Drummond at this year's deadline? We're not sure, but we know that the Celtics could use another big man. Thompson and the other bigs — Daniel Theis, Robert Williams and Grant Williams — have left much to be desired down low, and Boston could use a dominant big man like, say, Myles Turner, who was someone they could have acquired but chose not to get during the Gordon Hayward drama.
Boston is a bottom-five team in defensive rebounding and in the bottom ten in blocks per game. It's also been said that GM Danny Ainge is looking to upgrade at the big man position, something that Drummond would certainly help out with.
Another team in on Andre Drummond?
— Ross (@LegionHoopsRoss) February 15, 2021
The Boston Celtics.
Source confirms the teams have spoken today.
With that said, the Celtics might not have the assets to pull off such a deal. Drummond's monstrous contract doesn't even fit in the Celtics' massive trade exception from the Hayward deal, and mortgaging too many useful assets may not be their desired game plan.
Brooklyn Nets
Andre Drummond would be an upgrade from DeAndre Jordan in Brooklyn.(Sarah Stier/Getty Images)A move for Andre Drummond wouldn't quite make a Big 4 in Brooklyn — we don't know if we can place Drummond on the same pedestal as Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving — but it would be pretty close. Losing Jarrett Allen hurt the Nets' interior, and DeAndre Jordan, Noah Vonleh and Norvel Pelle don't make for the most exciting trio of centers.
They also wouldn't easily be able to accomplish this through a trade, given that they have no pieces left to give on their bench and quite simply couldn't match the salary as they'd need to. But NBA reporter Shams Charania says that the Nets are one of several teams that would view Drummond as an intriguing commodity on the buyout market if that's what ultimately occurs in Cleveland. Charania also notes that "a buyout is clearly not the preference" — why would it be? — but that it may be the only way to get him out of Cleveland.
If Drummond wants to play for a contender for a year, the Nets are an intriguing option. They have a mid-level exception and a disabled player exception (from Spencer Dinwiddie), both of which are worth $5.7 million that they could use on prospective free agents (via Spotrac).
Charlotte Hornets
The Hornets are currently a playoff team in the East.(Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)Don't sleep on the Hornets in the East. Gordon Hayward and Terry Rozier are both experiencing career renaissances. LaMelo Ball is really blossoming and beginning to run away in the Rookie of the Year race. And a commanding big man like Andre Drummond, as opposed to current centers Cody Zeller and Bismack Biyombo, could propel them into winning territory, as they sit in sixth place at 13-15 to this point.
Whether it's through a trade that involves Zeller and other pieces or after a buyout, Charlotte could be a sleeper destination for Drummond. They're not the most immediate contender, but they're in the hunt and could gain momentum as LaMelo continues to evolve.
Dallas Mavericks
Kristaps Porzingis mans the 5 for Dallas, but that doesn't mean there isn't room for Andre Drummond.(Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)Another team that Charania says is in the mix via a buyout are the Mavs. A trade doesn't seem out of the realm of possibility due to James Johnson's large, expiring contract and other movable bigs like Dwight Powell, but it also may not be their preferred route.
Dallas is a bottom-ten team in both offensive and defensive rebounding, and Kristaps Porzingis (8.2 rebounds per game) is anything but your traditional 7-foot center. Drummond would help immensely in the rebounding department and could provide more capable scoring than other big men on the team like Willie Cauley-Stein and Dwight Powell.
Portland Trail Blazers
Damian Lillard could use some help in the post after losing Jusuf Nurkic to injury.(Abbie Parr/Getty Images)Starting center Jusuf Nurkic still has quite some time ahead of him in his recovery from a broken wrist, while fellow big Zach Collins remains sidelined following surgery. Enes Kanter is a phenomenal rebounder, but if the Blazers want to seriously compete in the West upon CJ McCollum's return — which they do, given their offseason acquisition of Robert Covington — then Drummond is clearly a better presence inside.
The Blazers still have their bi-annual exception, worth $3.6 million, if Drummond gets to the buyout market.
Toronto Raptors
Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet and the Raptors could use a commanding interior presence.(Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)Charania reports that the Raptors have already been involved with the Cavs in discussions regarding Drummond.
It's not hard to understand why. Losing Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka, who helped to make Toronto a top-12 team in rebounding last year, have not been sufficiently replaced by Aron Baynes and Alex Len. As a result, the Raptors are at the very bottom of the association in total rebounding.
The fact that they're already engaging in trade talks might give them a leg up, seeing as the Cavs would much prefer a trade as opposed to a buyout. However, which pieces they'd include is a factor that's hard to figure out, as Drummond for Kyle Lowry straight up doesn't make much sense for either side.
Washington Wizards
Thomas Bryant's injury leaves a hole at the center position in Washington.(Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)The Wizards currently sit at the bottom of the barrel in the East with a 7-17 record, but you can't say that bringing in Drummond to pair with Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook wouldn't at least be interesting. Besides, the Wizards need a center after Thomas Bryant went down with a torn ACL early in the season, and even as bad as they've been, the Wizards are still only 3.5 games out of a playoff seed — that's how much the East drops off.
Washington has a bi-annual exception worth $3.6 million if Drummond makes it to the buyout market.
Honorable Mentions
The Knicks are in the playoff hunt despite low expectations and Mitchell Robinson's (right) recent injury.(Abbie Parr/Getty Images)Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers are a bottom-12 team in rebounding and would use Drummond and would likely start him in the middle and move one of Nic Batum or Serge Ibaka to the bench (or use them in the trade).
Los Angeles Lakers
Want to play for a contender? This is about as good as it gets, and having Drummond as insurance for the recently injured Anthony Davis would be a nice security blanket.
New York Knicks
The Knicks are certainly in the playoff hunt, and trading for Derrick Rose shows that they're not backing down now. Mitchell Robinson is also hurt, though he will eventually come back, and it's doubtful they'll want to cut into his minutes too much. Drummond's expiring contract could also be seen as fitting into their earlier plans of taking on large, expiring deals but would also make them more competitive in a weaker conference.
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