Ranking the best trade destinations for Detroit Pistons big man Andre Drummond
2. Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a team that has a number of good options at the center position. however, having Andre Drummond start there would fit this team out nicely. Maxi Kleber, Dwight Powell and Boban Marjanovic are all solid, but Drummond is an upgrade over all of them. Goodwill’s report also indicated the Mavericks were interested.
The Mavericks are fifth in the Western Conference, sliding down from third since the injury to Kristaps Porzingis. At 7’3″ Porzingis is, as his nickname suggests, a unicorn. He, Luka Doncic and Tim Hardaway Jr. are incredibly good shooting the 3-ball.
Doncic, in particular, has a license to shoot from anywhere. He is struggling at the moment as a result of Porzinigis being out, sputtering at times in comparison to his normal self. When Porzingis is out, Doncic has shot the 3-ball at 23.9 percent, compared with 45.4 percent when they win
He is lacking a true second option who puts pressure on the opposition defenses. Drummond is a force inside who needs to be respected. His ability to get offensive rebounds allows the perimeter shooters to put the ball up with more confidence. However, where Drummond is going to help the most is on defense.
We hear from Andre Drummond, whose 24 points and 20 rebounds carry the Pistons over the Mavericks ... leading to a postgame hug from owner Tom Gores. pic.twitter.com/UmEt14bbwc
— Bally Sports Detroit (@BallySportsDET) February 1, 2019
The Mavericks are 28th in the league in steals with only 6.3 per game. The second area where Drummond will help is with rim protection. The Mavericks are 19th in the league with 4.6 blocks per game; this is despite having Porzingis on the team.
In order to get Drummond, owner Mark Cuban is going to have to gamble based on Drummond opting out of his contract. If the Mavericks do trade for Drummond, depending on what they have to give up, they may have their best shot for a championship since 2011.