Andre Drummond

BOSTON – When Gordon Hayward turned down his $34.1 million player option this past fall, the Boston Celtics knew there was a good chance they would lose him and get nothing in return. 

So the Celtics worked out a deal with Hayward and his new team, the Charlotte Hornets, to acquire the next-best thing: a $28.5 million traded player exception, which is the largest in NBA history.

The struggling 14-13 Celtics have lost 10 of their last 16 games, and they have limited financial flexibility since they're already over the salary cap. But the TPE gives them the potential to add a difference-maker via trade without having to ship out players or matching salaries. 

"We're having conversations like always this time of year," Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge tells Bleacher Report. "So we'll have to wait and see. But I'm evaluating my own team, my own players and at the same time watching the rest of the league and how they're doing. We'll see if there's something there that fits."

According to multiple league executives, it isn't a matter of if the Celtics will use their TPE but on whom. 

"Of course with Danny Ainge, you never know for sure what he's going to do or not do," said an Eastern Conference executive who has had low-level trade conversations with the Celtics this season. "But look where they are record-wise, look at their roster. ... I can't see how Danny can keep them as they are and not make some kind of a change."

The executive added, "And with the [trade] exception from the Hayward deal, Danny can add a pretty good player and keep his team together, which I know if he had his way, he would do."

But adding even with the massive trade exception, it won't be easy for the Celtics to add talent with increased competition leading up to the March 25 trade deadline. 

The defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers may look to add another piece to help spell a now-sidelined Anthony Davis, who had an MRI performed on Feb. 15 that showed he had a calf strain that will keep him out for at least two weeks. 

Cleveland is reportedly looking to move on from Andre Drummond, but his hefty $28.8 million salary will prove difficult for any team to acquire via trade. But if Drummond reached a buyout with the Cavs, he'd become a highly sought-after player for several teams looking to add size, including Boston.

Other players league executives envision as potential Celtics targets include Sacramento's Harrison Barnes, LaMarcus Aldridge of San Antonio, P.J. Tucker in Houston, Aaron Gordon in Orlando, New Orleans' JJ Redick and Atlanta's John Collins. Other lower-cost possibilities mentioned include OKC's George Hill and Terrence Ross in Orlando. 

Injuries and health-and-safety protocols have limited the Celtics' projected starting five from seeing much court time together, which may sway Ainge to keep the team intact and ride out this season. 

Boston's projected starting five was supposed to be a perimeter trio of Kemba Walker, Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown joined by Jayson Tatum and Tristan Thompson in the frontcourt. According to NBA.com, that group has played a total of seven minutes together this season, and it hasn't been pretty. 

"I hate to use those excuses," Ainge said. "Every team has COVID issues, every team has injury issues. And really, at the same time, we haven't seen our starting lineup that was penciled in at the beginning of the season very much at all this season. But again, this [current play by the team] ... is unacceptable. I just hope every player feels the same way and I think they do. I'm confident that each one of them knows they can do more and play better and play harder."

Getting healthier and playing harder can only do so much. The Celtics could use another rotation piece, but a rival executive in the East pointed out what may throw a monkey wrench into their plans of using the unprecedented TPE to bolster their roster.

"They have the trade exception, but if a team can add talent, maybe a good pick or picks in a deal, will that beat a trade exception from Boston?" the league executive said. "For some teams, maybe."

With the Celtics' record hovering around the .500 mark this late in the season for the first time since their 2014-15 campaign, Ainge knows there will be increased scrutiny on how he addresses the team's struggles. 

Figuring out the kind of player that Boston seeks is one of the great unknowns right now in the NBA.

"Is it a big man? Is it a wing? Depending on the day of the week, that might be your answer," said the latter Eastern Conference executive. "They're in this really unusual spot where they are a very good team but have more than one clear area that needs to be shored up."

While there's no disputing the Celtics' need for improved play, a Western Conference scout dismissed the argument that Boston needs to add more scoring punch from the perimeter. 

"If you really take a close look at their numbers, you'll see the problem isn't that they have bad shooters," he said. "It's that the shooters they have aren't shooting enough."

The Celtics are shooting 37.8 percent from beyond the three-point line, which ranks ninth leaguewide. However, their 12.5 made threes and 33.0 three-point attempts per game rank 18th and 22nd, respectively. 

Indeed, the shift toward taking more two-pointers than threes has been years in the making for Boston. 

The Celtics are ranked ninth in two-pointers taken per game this season. Boston's two-point-attempt ranking has gone up every year since the 2016-17 season, when it was 29th. Meanwhile, Boston has dropped in the league standings in three-point attempts in three of the last four seasons. 

And while a lot of attention will be paid to the record-setting $28.5 million TPE and how they use it, the Celtics did other deals during the offseason that generated a pair of additional TPEs—a $4.8 million TPE when Enes Kanter went to Portland and a $2.6 million TPE when they sent Vincent Poirier to Oklahoma City (the Thunder would later trade him to his current team, the Philadelphia 76ers).  

Those are nice assets, for sure. 

But for the Celtics to add a player of significant impact and do so without disrupting their core group, it'll take finding the right team as a trade partner, the right player who fits their needs, not to mention some if not all of their $28.5 million trade exception to get it done. 

Stats up to date through games played on Tuesday, Feb. 16. 

Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green called out the double standard in how players are treated when they request a trade compared to when a team decides to sit a player indefinitely while waiting to trade them, as is now the case with Cleveland Cavaliers center Andre Drummond.

KRON's Jason Dumas provided Green's full comments from Monday night, in which he described the Drummond situation as "bulls--t":

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Brian Windhorst reported Monday the Cavs have decided to move forward with Jarrett Allen as the full-time starting center and didn't feel it was fair to Drummond to have him playing limited minutes, so the decision was made to sideline him until a deal is found.

Green pointed out how that's considered acceptable, but when a player like James Harden wants to leave and the team doesn't initially agree with the decision, the player is expected to show up to every practice and play every game or he becomes the subject of extreme ridicule.

Harden missed the start of training camp with the Houston Rockets before he was eventually traded to the Brooklyn Nets in mid-January as part of a four-team blockbuster.

Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff called the decision to sit Drummond the "best for everybody."

"Obviously none of us wanted it to come to this," Bickerstaff told reporters. "I think you can let 'Dre speak for himself, but we had a good relationship. He liked it here in Cleveland. So it was not something that was easily decided upon. Obviously we felt the same way about 'Dre."

Allen's arrival to the Cavaliers, which came as part of the Harden trade, was a bit of a head-scratcher because of Drummond's presence. Something had to give, and now it has with Cleveland deciding to move forward with a new starting center.

The biggest problem is that the NBA trade deadline isn't until March 25, so Drummond could spend up to six weeks waiting in the wings if a deal isn't found quickly.

The Brooklyn Nets and Dallas Mavericks reportedly would be interested in signing Cleveland Cavaliers center Andre Drummond if the Cavs buy out the remainder of his contract, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium. 

Charania added that a buyout "is clearly not the preference" for Cleveland and that the Toronto Raptors and Cavs "are engaged in active talks on a deal that would send Drummond to Toronto/Tampa."

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Brian Windhorst reported that the Cavaliers don't plan to continue playing Drummond as they seek a potential trade for him, though they added that "there has been no discussion on a contract buyout that could allow Drummond to become a free agent."

Woj and Windhorst also reported that "Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman discussed the move with Drummond and his agent, Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports, and decided together that Drummond would remain with the team but would no longer be active for games, sources said."

From the moment the Cavs acquired Jarrett Allen in the four-team trade that landed James Harden on the Brooklyn Nets, it was fairly obvious that Drummond's future in Cleveland was ending. Granted, that may have been the case regardless, with Drummond hitting unrestricted free agency after this season. 

The 27-year-old Drummond has been the team's starting center, averaging 17.5 points, 13.5 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 25 games. But in February, he's averaged just 14.3 points and 8.3 rebounds per contest, and his minutes were slashed in his last two games, as he averaged 16.7 minutes per night.

That's a huge cut compared to the 28.9 minutes he's averaged per game this year. The proverbial writing has been on the wall. It was also on the sweatshirt Drummond wore to Sunday's matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers, one he didn't play in order to rest. The shirt had the word "farewell" written on the chest.

"Whichever direction this goes, Andre is 27, in his prime, and I believe strongly that he has a great deal to add to a team building toward a postseason run," Schwartz told Woj and Windhorst.

With a logjam at center—JaVale McGee is also on the roster—Cleveland was always going to clear some roster space to make room for Allen to have a bigger role. Drummond appears likely to be gone soon, though the Cavaliers seem likely to pursue a trade rather than going the buyout route, if possible.   

The Cleveland Cavaliers plan to make Jarrett Allen the "franchise's long-term starting center," according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Brian Windhorst.

The team is no longer planning to play Andre Drummond and will look to trade the veteran before he becomes a free agent in the offseason.

Cleveland acquired Allen in the January blockbuster trade that sent James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets. He is averaging 13.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game in 15 appearances with the Cavs, including 11 off the bench.

In four starts with Cleveland, Allen is averaging 17.5 points, 10.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks. This includes a monster performance in a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves earlier this month:

The 22-year-old now has the opportunity to prove himself on a full-time basis before becoming a restricted free agent in the offseason.

If the Cavaliers re-sign Allen, the former first-rounder out of Texas could be part of an exciting core that includes Collin Sexton, Darius Garland and Isaac Okoro, all under the age of 23.

Allen hasn't always put up huge numbers in his young career, but his efficiency on both ends has made him one of the most valuable players in the league. He finished 2019-20 with 8.2 win shares to rank 14th in the NBA, ahead of stars like Ben Simmons and Jayson Tatum.

After averaging 14.9 points, 11.7 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per 36 minutes across parts of four seasons with the Nets, Cleveland is expecting big things from the 6'11", 243-pound center going forward.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are planning to sit center Andre Drummond as they explore trade scenarios ahead of the March 25 deadline.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Brian Windhorst reported Monday that Cavs management spoke to Drummond and his agent, Jeff Schwartz, to inform them of the team's plans. Drummond will remain with the team but will be inactive for games.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported the Toronto Raptors and Cavs have been in discussions regarding a deal. However, Wojnarowski noted that no talks are considered serious at this time.

The Cavs are planning to move forward with Jarrett Allen as their franchise center, leaving Drummond as the odd man out despite his stellar production this season.

Drummond is averaging 17.5 points, 13.5 rebounds and 1.2 blocks while starting all 25 of his appearances for Cleveland this season. He came over from the Detroit Pistons via a midseason trade in the 2019-20 campaign.

Sitting Drummond more than a month ahead of the deadline seems to indicate the Cavs plan on moving him in the immediate future. The team has no plans on reaching a buyout, and he has performed well enough to generate interest around the league.

One issue could be Drummond's contract, which will limit his suitors. While teams like the Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Clippers and other contenders have obvious holes at center and would be interested in acquiring Drummond, the finances of any deal make it an almost impossible proposition. He is making $28.8 million in the 2020-21 season.

The Raptors would have to trade four players (Aron Baynes, Norman Powell, Patrick McCaw and someone else) to make a deal wherein salaries match and they don't give up any of their major contributors. That's the case for nearly every contender, even if they can cobble together enough undesirable salary to get into matching range. Most contenders will have to find a third or even fourth team before considering a Drummond deal.

The upstart Charlotte Hornets may have the most realistic package (Cody Zeller, Malik Monk, Bismack Biyombo) and a desire to acquire Drummond given their current playoff status.

The Dallas Mavericks could be another team to watch given their disappointing start to the season and a potential desire to move Kristaps Porzingis to the 4 for defensive purposes. A package of James Johnson, Dwight Powell and draft picks would work under the cap.

Once the Cleveland Cavaliers acquired young center Jarrett Allen in the four-team James Harden trade, it seemed likely that Andre Drummond was on borrowed time.

A trade may not be in the works just yet, however. According to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com: "Even though Drummond has been at the center of trade—and buyout—rumors, multiple league sources tell Cleveland.com 'nothing is imminent' on that front."

The Brooklyn Nets and Toronto Raptors are reportedly interested in Drummond, per Fedor, while veteran center JaVale McGee is also "available." The team has reportedly received interest in all three of its centers, but only Drummond and McGee are being shopped by the Cavs.

When healthy, the 27-year-old Drummond has served as the team's starter, posting 17.5 points, 13.5 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game across 25 appearances.

He's regressed in February, however, averaging just 14.3 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. He's combined to average just 6.0 points and 5.5 rebounds in his last two games, with his minutes slashed to 16.5 per contest (compared to 28.9 this season).

Allen, meanwhile, averaged 20.0 points and 8.0 rebounds in those two games and is posting 14.1 points and 8.4 rebounds per game in February. It's pretty clear a changing of the guard is underway in Cleveland, and J.B. Bickerstaff hinted that Drummond's role could change—perhaps he'll find himself coming off the bench—if his play didn't improve.

"Everything's on the table, all the time," he told reporters. "Our focus again is to try to get him to be the best version of himself that he can be. We always have to face tough and difficult decisions. We're not afraid of those decisions, but our first goal is to get him back to being the best version of himself."

With injuries piling up and the Cavs stuck in a six-game losing streak, Drummond has found himself frustrated.

"It's just me being a human and not enjoying losing and not having a smile on my face obviously is due to the losses we're taking," he told reporters. "So it's taking a toll. That's really all it is. And that doesn't change my excitement and my joy of playing the game and being on this team. It's a frustrating time right now trying to figure out how to get some wins. That's all."

Regardless, the writing appears to be on the wall for Drummond in Cleveland.