Andre Drummond is a hot commodity in the buyout market and several playoff teams should do whatever it takes to sign him.
The Cleveland Cavaliers made the surprising decision to acquire Andre Drummond last season. He did well during his time on the floor, but acquiring Jarrett Allen earlier this season proved there was no future for Drummond on the shores of Lake Erie.
The Cavaliers have had him sit out since mid-February as he was shopped on the trade market. But Thursday’s trade deadline passed and a deal was never found. Now Drummond is headed for a buyout and plenty of teams around the league have interest.
A few playoff contenders, in particular, should try to land Drummond to upgrade their roster and hopefully get that final piece to chase a championship.
3. New York Knicks
Something special is going on in New York City this season. The Knicks enter play Friday sitting in the No. 5 spot in the Eastern Conference standings. Julius Randle is playing like a star and RJ Barrett is blossoming into someone Knicks fans can rally around for years.
The most important thing is not making a move to disrupt this newfound chemistry under Tom Thibodeau. Drummond does have a bit of a reputation as a stat-padder on bad teams. The difference here is that the Knicks are a legitimate contender and Drummond would not be looked at to carry the team.
Right now the Knicks have Nerlens Noel, Mitchell Robinson, and Taj Gibson down in the post. One of the three would lose a spot with Drummond’s arrival, so that is where the chemistry question comes back into play.
Ideally, Drummond could show up and focus on rebounding and scoring in the paint. Thibodeau could make sure the offense didn’t run through the big man, as it did in Cleveland, and also tell Drummond to park himself down low and never shoot from anywhere near the 3-point line.
All the negative narratives surrounding Drummond can be tossed away and he can thrive on a young team that is adding him as a bonus and not a necessity.