Trade candidate No. 2: Andre Drummond
This one’s the most obvious one of all. It has become pretty much official that Andre Drummond will not be continuing his NBA career with the Cleveland Cavaliers. After a 12-month experiment that didn’t work out, the Cavs are once again parting ways with one of their All-Stars.
Throughout his NBA career, Drummond has solidified himself as the league’s best rebounder. He has led the league in rebounding four of the last seven seasons and this year is averaging 17.5 points and 13.5 rebounds per game.
The Cavaliers didn’t seem to give him much of a chance, to be honest. They decided to look to move him after 33 games of action. Their main concern is his contract demands, as Drummond becomes a free agent after this season is off the books.
They do not believe he is worth the max and do not want to commit to a huge long-term contract during their rebuilding years. And yes, this is the same team that recently signed Kevin Love to a huge long-term contract.
Due to the size of his contract, a buyout is not entirely out of the discussion. It should go without saying that the Cavs would preferably go for a trade, though if that scenario fails to arise, Drummond could hit the free agency market sooner than expected.