CLEVELAND, Ohio – A year ago, I was excited when the Cavaliers traded for Andre Drummond. The price was modest: A pair of expiring contracts (John Henson, Brandon Knight) and a 2023 second-round pick to Detroit for the NBA’s leading rebounder.
At the very least, I thought the Cavs would be able to trade him if the 6-foot-10 center didn’t fit in with the young players.
As fans know, the Cavs were unable to make a deal for Drummond when the gong sounded to end Thursday’s trading deadline. They are now going to negotiate a buyout for Drummond, making him a free agent. It’s hard to remember that Drummond was averaging 17.5 points and 13.5 rebounds in the 25 games he played this season. They were 9-16 in those 25 games.
WHEN IT WENT BAD
To prove how tricky memory can be, I thought they were close to .500 with Drummond on the court.
Checking the stats, the Cavs were 7-7 on January 20, 2021, when they made the trade bringing 7-foot Jarrett Allen to Cleveland. At that point, Drummond saw Cleveland’s future center. It wasn’t him. The 22-year-old Allen was a terrific pickup for GM Koby Altman. He is an unselfish center who likes to rebound and block shots. He is a career 61 percent shooter, rarely taking a poor shot.
A restricted free agent, Allen is expected to receive a long-term deal in the $100 million range. He is averaging 14.7 points, 11.2 rebounds and shooting .645 from the field as a starter.
Drummond knew that from the moment the Allen deal was made.
Of course, the Cavs had no idea they’d be trading for Allen when they first acquired Drummond on February 6, 2020. Nor did they know the pandemic would shut down the NBA five weeks later. Until Allen arrived, Drummond was content to put up big numbers, rebound, play some defense and enhance his status as a free agent after the season.
But he knew his playing time (and stats) would be diminished with Allen now the center of attention. I heard Drummond has been working out in Los Angeles, wanting to go to the Lakers.
Jarrett Allen led to Andre Drummond wanting out of Cleveland. Allen is likely to sign a huge contract to stay with the Cavs beyond this season.
John Kuntz, cleveland.com
SIT & WAIT & LEAVE
The NBA has become a strange place. If a big-name player thinks his time is up as the trading deadline approaches, he will sit out. In fact, he’ll sit out and be paid until traded – or bought out of his contract.
Blake Griffin (Pistons), LaMarcus Aldridge (Spurs) and Drummond all took that road. Griffin has since signed with the Nets. Aldridge (likely to Miami) and Drummond are hot items on the secondary free-agent market. But that doesn’t help the Cavs, who weren’t able to turn Drummond into any future assets. He also was expensive, his contract worth $28.7 million this season.
The NBA has changed in regards to centers. They want the big men to shoot outside. Or some teams don’t care about having big guys (at least not on big contracts). It’s why the Cavs didn’t have to give up much to acquire Drummond – and why they couldn’t find a place to deal him without taking even a more appalling contract in return.
Drummond was a gamble that didn’t pay off. The Cavs knew that was a possibility because Drummond’s attitude has been questionable in the past.
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Dylan Windler goes to the rim against Denver Nuggets center Isaiah Hartenstein earlier in the season. Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com
LOOKING AHEAD
The Cavs also traded veteran center JaVale McGee to Denver for a pair of future second-round picks (2023 and 2027) and 22-year-old big man Isaiah Hartenstein.
I liked the 33-year-old McGee. The 7-footer always played hard. He accepted whatever role he was assigned. There’s a reason he has been on three NBA title teams. He’s a solid role player. But he’ll also be a free agent after the season.
The key return for the Cavs is the 7-foot Hartenstein, who has been a G-League All-Star. In the NBA, his experience is limited to 81 games over three seasons, averaging 3.3 points and 2.7 rebounds in 10 minutes per outing.
He’s not an outside shooter, more of an athletic dunker and rebounder.
Even with their 17-27 record, the Cavs are a better team than last season’s 19-46 model.
Collin Sexton has matured into an explosive scorer (24 points per game). Darius Garland (16.6 points, 5.9 assists) is showing promise as a point guard. Allen and Larry Nance Jr. are big men willing to defend. Rookie Isaac Okoro is athletic … but also a rookie who plays like a 20 year old still trying to figure out the NBA.
This is another season of playing and sorting through the young guys. But one goal should be for the Cavs to return to the defensive mindset that helped them win some games early in the season. That was with Drummond, who is now gone.
But Allen and Nance can lead in that area, especially if J.B. Bickerstaff makes defense a priority for the remainder of the season.
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