Report: Andre Drummond won't play as Cavaliers try to trade him
Andre Drummond's time with the Cleveland Cavaliers may be coming to an end.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Brian Windhorst reported on Monday that the Cavs are actively trying to trade Drummond, and have no plans to play him while they're trying to find a trade partner. The decision to stop playing Drummond was reportedly made by Drummond, his agent, and GM Koby Altman.
Jared Allen, who came to the Cavs in the blockbuster James Harden deal, is reportedly in line to be the team's starter at center. The Cavaliers acquiring Allen signaled that they weren't likely to re-up with Drummond, who is on an expiring $28.7 million contract.
The Cavs did try to find a way for Allen and Drummond to coexist. They recently started them together for a handful of games, an experiment that failed spectacularly. Those games were the start of the Cavaliers' current seven-game losing streak, and Drummond looked pretty awful.
Drummond seems ready to move on. He didn't dress for Sunday's game, and arrived at the arena wearing a sweatshirt that said "farewell" on the front.
Andre Drummond last night 😮 pic.twitter.com/7AfSFCbxsG
— The Lead (@TheLeadSM) February 15, 2021
The official reason Drummond didn't dress for Sunday's game was rest, but The Athletic reported that he was also not playing due to his recent "attitude and play."
Where could Drummond end up?
Drummond's hefty $28.7 million contract will make it challenging for the Cavs to find a trade partner. According to Woj, the Cavaliers are coming up empty so far.
Cleveland is starting to gauge the market on Andre Drummond, but there are no serious, ongoing trade discussions with any team now, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 15, 2021
While there may not be "serious, ongoing trade discussions," there are reportedly a few teams at least interested in Drummond. According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, the Toronto Raptors, Brooklyn Nets, and Dallas Mavericks have inquired about Drummond. However, the Nets and Mavs are reportedly only interested if the Cavs buy out the rest of Drummond's contract, which they don't want to do.
Drummond, 27, is in his ninth season and continues to put up productive numbers. Over 25 games this season he's averaged 17.5 points, 13.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.2 blocks per game. He was traded to the Cavaliers during the 2019-2020 season after spending his first seven seasons with the Detroit Pistons.
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