Jan 15, 2021; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Andre Drummond (3) dunks against New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (23) during the first quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
As we near the NBA All-Star break, it appears that the NBA trade rumor mill is getting hot. We’ve already broken down the potential Blake Griffin moves out there, but he’s not the only big likely to be on the move in the next few weeks. According to both Woj and Shams, the Cavs are going to trade Andre Drummond before the deadline.
The Raptors and Cavaliers are engaged in active talks on potential Andre Drummond deal to Toronto/Tampa, per sources.
Details about that and more on Inside Pass at @TheAthletic: https://t.co/TkABHOgrFp
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 15, 2021
Drummond is currently sitting out for the Cavs while they look for a deal, which won’t be easy based on his $28 million salary for this season. That means the Cavs have to bring back that amount of salary in any trade for Drummond, which makes things difficult. Still, there seems to be some sort of market for Drummond as teams look to improve before the playoffs. We broke down five NBA teams that should make a run at a trade for Andre Drummond before the trade deadline.
Toronto Raptors
Might as well start with the team that has already been rumored to talk to the Cavs about a Drummond trade. The Toronto Raptors currently sit at the 7th spot in the standings and have struggled at the center position all season while starting Aaron Baynes. It’s safe to say they’re desperate for an upgrade as they go into the second half of the season. The only question here would be how to get a deal done and how much they’d be willing to give up. They can’t take on Drummond’s salary outright, so they’d have to send out some contracts to get this done. Could Kyle Lowry head somewhere else in a 3-team deal?
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are another East team that is currently sliding down the standings in the conference. While Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are studs for this team, the big rotation and depth has been an issue, even with Robert Williams playing really well. Danny Ainge himself said this team isn’t currently constructed to win a title, which makes you think a move is coming. Could the Celtics send Tristan Thompson back to Cleveland in exchange for Drummond?
New York Knicks
Don’t look now, but the New York Knicks might have something with this roster. They’re one of the surprise teams in the NBA and continue to play better behind Julius Randle’s All-Star level season. While the Knicks have a young team, the loss of Mitchell Robinson to a hand injury has opened up a need at the center position that could be filled by the addition of Andre Drummond. After already picking up Derrick Rose in a trade, this would be another move by the Knicks in an attempt to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2013.
Charlotte Hornets
Like the Knicks, the Charlotte Hornets are a young team right on the fringe of the playoffs in the East. LaMelo Ball is a huge favorite to win rookie of the year and Gordon Hayward looks like an All-Star once again. The Hornets not only have the contracts to make a deal for Drummond, but they also have a need to updgrade at the center position if they truly do want to make a run at the playoffs. This could be a sneaky good pickup for Charlotte.
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks have been one of the most disappointing teams in the NBA this season. Luka Doncic came into the season as the odds on favorite to win MVP, but the team has limped out the gate to a 13-15 record. Some of that has to do with the fact that Kristaps Porzingis has struggled coming back from his injury, but this team has not lived up to their preseason hype. Shams had mentioned the Mavs as a Drummond suitor if he gets bought out, so it makes sense that they would go after him in a trade if they really think he would help their team improve.