The Brooklyn Nets’ blowout win over the Golden State Warriors this past weekend was hampered by news that superstar Kevin Durant will miss at least the next two games with a hamstring strain.
That matchup against his former team was Durant’s first after he missed close to a week adhering to league health and safety protocols, and fans will be praying that this injury doesn’t linger and morph into something serious. After all, he’s currently the Nets’ most consistent defender and has even logged serious minutes at center in recent games.
As great as Durant is, that isn’t a sustainable recipe for success. With that in mind, Brooklyn will have to address their lack of front court depth at next month’s trade deadline and most analysts have pointed to Cavaliers stud Andre Drummond and his gigantic 6-foot-10, 279-pound frame as a potential solution.
Unfortunately for the Nets, however, Drummond could be on his way to a conference rival before long. According to insider Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Raptors and Cavaliers are engaged in negotiations that would send the two-time All-Star to Toronto.
The Raptors and Cavaliers are engaged in active talks on potential Andre Drummond deal to Toronto/Tampa, per sources.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 15, 2021
Details about that and more on Inside Pass at @TheAthletic: https://t.co/TkABHOgrFp
It turns out Andre Drummond probably won’t end up on the Nets after all.
There are questions about Drummond’s overall commitment to the defensive end of the floor, but something tells us that would change if he landed on a contender. Let’s put it like this: if the former No. 9 overall pick is averaging 17.5 points, 13.5 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game on 47.4% shooting this season while giving lackluster effort, then we don’t even want to think of the havoc he could wreak on a team that actually has something to play for.
It’s worth noting that the Nets depleted themselves of assets in the James Harden blockbuster and they’d have to do some financial gymnastics to work Drummond’s $28.7 million salary onto their payroll, so he was more of a buyout option for them than anything else.
However, that doesn’t make this news sting any less. When you consider that both of Brooklyn’s most damning flaws — offensive rebounding and giving up points in the paint — just so happen to align with Drummond’s greatest strengths, him potentially finding a new home with a conference rival would be a disaster.
Reporting with @WindhorstESPN: The Cleveland Cavaliers are no longer planning to play center Andre Drummond as they work to trade the two-time All-Star prior to the NBA’s March 25th deadline, sources told ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 15, 2021
While it remains to be seen where Drummond will land, what we can confirm is that he will be playing somewhere else come March 25th, and odds are it won’t be in Brooklyn. Per ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski, the four-time rebounding champ has played his last game for Cleveland as the front office ramps up their search for a potential trade partner.
Throw in the fact that the only reason Cleveland can afford to unload Drummond is because they want to fully unleash Jarrett Allen, who they acquired from the Nets in the Harden trade and continues to make significant strides in his development, and you’ll come to the realization that this really is the worst-case scenario for Brooklyn.
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