Resetting after the NBA Trade Deadline: Minnesota Timberwolves, Atlanta Hawks reinvent themselves
By Phil Watson
Cleveland Cavaliers
What they did:
- Traded John Henson, Brandon Knight and least favorable of Cleveland/Golden State 2023 second-round picks to Detroit Pistons for Andre Drummond
- Signed Alfonzo McKinnie to four-year, $7.2 million contract
What it means
In a trade that, at first glance, makes little sense from either side, it makes even less for the Cleveland Cavaliers than it does for the Detroit Pistons.
That becomes even more acute with the report from ESPN’s Eric Woodyard that general manager Koby Altman has not had any long-term discussions with newly acquired center Andre Drummond.
The Cavaliers were able to snare the NBA’s leading rebounder for little to nothing — journeymen Brandon Knight and John Henson and a second-round pick three years down the road is a minuscule return for a two-time All-Star — but that’s because of Drummond’s uncertain status.
He has a $28.75 million player option for next season and perhaps the only thing worse than him opting out for nothing would be for him to … opt in. Drummond is one of those NBA big men who can be something of an anachronism in the pace-and-space NBA: A classic back-to-the-basket big who can’t space the floor and doesn’t exactly excel in pick-and-roll coverage.
Drummond has tried to expand his shooting range in recent seasons, taking 38 3-pointer last season and launching 21 this year. But he’s made … six. A 6-for-59 success rate isn’t exactly going to make opposing big men sprint away from the restricted area to make sure to get a hand in Drummond’s face.
The situation for the Cavaliers gets even more strange amid reports the club has no plans to buy out incumbent big man Tristan Thompson, according to David Aldridge of The Athletic.
League source says there will be no buyout for Tristan Thompson in Cleveland, and that he will play out the season with the Cavs before hitting free agency this summer.
— David Aldridge (@davidaldridgedc) February 6, 2020
Thompson had told the Cavaliers he wanted to find a new address, but Cleveland did not find a trade it liked.
But trying to figure out how Drummond and Thompson can co-exist — considering it’s extremely unlikely they can play together — is just another problem for coach John Beilein, who has appeared to be overwhelmed by the NBA game at times this season.