Andre Drummond

Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond said Saturday he's still committed to the team despite becoming the focus of trade rumors amid a 13-23 start to the 2019-20 NBA season.

"I'm not a quitter, for one," Drummond told reporters. "I was never brought up to be a quitter. If I start somewhere, I try to finish there, try to complete the mission, which is to win a championship here. It will never be me that wants to go anywhere ... I love being here. I would love to play here the rest of my career."

His comments came one day after ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported the Pistons had started "escalating discussions" with multiple teams about a potential blockbuster involving the two-time All-Star, including "serious recent talks" with the Atlanta Hawks that could net Detroit a 2020 first-round draft pick.

Drummond is enjoying another strong statistical campaign despite the team's struggles. He's averaged 17.5 points, an NBA-high 15.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.8 blocks in 34 games. He ranks 22nd among all qualified players in Player Efficiency Rating, per ESPN.

He's also in the final guaranteed season of a five-year, $127.2 million contract with the Pistons. He holds a player option for next season at $28.8 million.

Drummond explained Saturday the trade speculation comes with the territory given his contract situation, the team's current standing and next month's deadline:

"I've been dealing with this since the year I signed my contract so the trade rumors will always come around, so this is another year for me. It's always that time of year around January where trade talks come. Nothing's happened. Obviously, the talks have started, so these questions will start to come. I've been looking forward to them coming, but for me, I'm just going to continue to play the game I play, play here in Detroit where I love to be, and whatever happens, happens."

The 26-year-old UConn product has spent his entire pro career with the Pistons, who selected him with the ninth overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft.

For now, Detroit and its star center are back in action Sunday night against the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks have reportedly held trade discussions focused on All-Star center Andre Drummond.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, no deal is imminent, but the Pistons are open to moving Drummond, as they are talking to the Hawks and "several other teams." Rod Beard of the Detroit News confirmed the report and added that the Pistons are "doing due diligence."

Wojnarowski furthered his report by adding that the Hawks are looking to send a package that includes the Brooklyn Nets' 2020 first-round pick and salary cap relief in the form of expiring contracts, plus other assets to Detroit.

Per Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports, the Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks and Toronto Raptors have also shown interest in Drummond. Goodwill also noted that Drummond is friendly with Mavs forward Kristaps Porzingis and Raptors guard Kyle Lowry.

The 26-year-old Drummond can become a free agent at the conclusion of the season if he declines his player option for 2020-21, and with the Pistons struggling to the tune of a 12-23 record, he seems like a strong bet to be moved prior to the deadline.

Drummond is enjoying a career year despite the Pistons' struggles as a whole and seems well on his way to his third All-Star nod. He is averaging a career-high 17.6 points to go along with an NBA-leading 15.8 rebounds, plus 2.7 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.8 blocks.

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He is also shooting 53.7 percent from the field, and his free-throw percentage of 61.4 percent is a career best as well.

Drummond is one the NBA's best centers, and with three rebounding titles to his credit, there is no one better than him on the boards. That figures to make him a hot commodity on the free-agent market, but it may also entice teams to trade for him in order to get a leg up on the competition.

Some teams may view Drummond as a rental, but since the Hawks are an NBA-worst 7-27, they would undoubtedly be trading for him in hopes of immediately re-signing him.

The Hawks are on pace to miss the playoffs and win fewer than 30 games for the third straight year, but they have an impressive assortment of young talent that could lead to brighter and better days in the near future.

Second-year guard Trae Young leads the team with averages of 28.5 points and 8.3 assists per game, forward John Collins is nearly averaging a double-double with 18.3 points and 9.9 rebounds per contest, and rookie wing De'Andre Hunter has shown flashes of becoming a great two-way player.

One thing the Hawks lack is a dominant presence in the paint, but Drummond has shown he can be precisely that on both ends of the floor, which is likely why he is such an attractive option for general manager Travis Schlenk.

Acquiring Drummond would be a huge risk for the Hawks since he could walk in the offseason, but if they manage to re-sign him, they could quickly go from cellar dweller to playoff contender in the Eastern Conference.

The Charlotte Hornets have "no interest" in acquiring Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond, according to Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press on Saturday.

That news was in response to a report from Sean Deveney of Heavy.com, who wrote on Nov. 22 that the Hornets were targeting Drummond and had been interested in him for over a year.

Drummond, 26, is averaging 17.7 points and a league-leading 16.6 rebounds per game. He has a player option for 2020-21 that he can waive to become a free agent next summer.

The 10-15 Pistons are mired in 10th place in the Eastern Conference.

Injuries have taken a toll, with Blake Griffin missing 12 games and Reggie Jackson out for all but two. Griffin has also struggled since coming back, scoring 17.1 points on just 38.1 percent shooting.

There's a 2.5-game gap between the top seven Eastern Conference teams and the rest of the East, with the Orlando Magic holding the eighth spot despite an 11-14 record. It's possible that Detroit sneaks into the postseason, but the Pistons are far from contending for an NBA title.

Dealing the productive Drummond wouldn't be a bad idea considering he may opt for free agency after the season.

The Hornets could be a good fit, as they are struggling on the boards on a nightly basis. Per ESPN.com, they rank 24th in rebounding differential.

But Mitchell Northam of Sports Illustrated wrote in November that Drummond doesn't fit with head coach James Borrego's style. Northam also mentioned the Hornets' current path to rebuild around younger players as well as the large amount of money Drummond will receive in the future as reasons the team likely isn't interested in him.

But if the Pistons continue their struggles into the winter, the big man's name could be the subject of rumors prior to the Feb. 6 trade deadline.

Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond is a game-time decision against the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday after suffering an allergic reaction to an avocado, per head coach Dwane Casey (h/t Mavs play-by-play man Chuck Cooperstein). 

Drummond's eyes swelled shut as a result of the allergic reaction.

The 26-year-old center has averaged 17.5 points and a league-leading 16.7 rebounds per game for the 10-14 Pistons, who are ninth in the Eastern Conference. The big man has missed just 10 total games over his past six full seasons. 

Last year, he sat three times. Drummond suffered a concussion after Miami Heat forward James Johnson accidentally knocked his forearm into the center's head on January 18, but the 7-footer was back on the court seven days later.

Expect Christian Wood to see more time down low if Drummond can't go Thursday. The 24-year-old has posted 9.0 points and 4.5 rebounds in 15.0 minutes per game.

Game time is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET.

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Andre Drummond is trying to secure his spot as the G.O.A.T. NBA rebounder. He is leading the league in offensive boards for the seventh straight season and is dominating the competition in total boards.

Watch the video above for more about Drummond's historic statistics.

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The NBA's swap season is almost upon us.

While the transaction window is technically open for much of the year, things typically don't get rolling until Dec. 15. That's the earliest point at which most players who signed contracts this summer can be traded, meaning the pool of trade candidates essentially explodes over night.

With that critical transaction date creeping closer, the Association's trade rumor mill is picking up steam. We'll break down the latest below.

Hornets Eyeing Andre Drummond

With a high-priced roster of mostly aging players—several of whom aren't signed past this season—and a win-loss record sitting deep in the red, the Detroit Pistons loom as one of this year's most logical sellers.

While they don't appear ready to pull the plug just yet, the Charlotte Hornets are reportedly keeping a close eye on the proceedings. They want two-time All-Star center Andre Drummond, per Heavy.com's Sean Deveney.

"He'll be a priority there," a league executive told Deveney. "It's just a matter of whether they make him a priority now and give up something to get him or try to make the move later."

The Hornets could take their chances and wait for 2020 free agency, but there isn't exactly a rich history of top-tier talent flocking to Buzz City. Then again, if they make the move now, they could cost themselves multiple assets—Deveney reported a package could include both a first-round pick and 21-year-old scoring guard Malik Monk—for someone who isn't guaranteed to stick around.

It isn't hard to imagine the Pistons deciding that a rebuild is inevitable and holding a fairly prominent fire sale. But the post-Kemba Walker Hornets would be an interesting buyer given how much youth they have in their rotation and how far they might be from high-level competition.

Heat Would Have Interest in Spurs' Veterans

For more than two decades now, the San Antonio Spurs have sat alongside death and taxes as life's greatest certainties. But one of those three things is suddenly unlike the others, and no, we haven't been granted immortality or transplanted to a tax-free land.

The Spurs seem old and slow, particularly on the defensive end, and it's threatening to sabotage their 22-year playoff streak. They've not only dropped 12 of their first 18 games, they've done so while facing the league's fourth-easiest schedule, per ESPN. Things could get ugly when the competition actually rises to league average or above.

Maybe San Antonio doesn't even wait around to see. The Spurs could dive headfirst into a rebuild by shopping high-priced, aging household names DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge. Should they put either on the block, the Miami Heat might be interested, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported:

"The Heat assuredly would due diligence on both for two reasons: 1) Both remain highly productive and 2) Neither has a contract that runs beyond the summer of 2021, which is critical because Miami wants to preserve max cap space that summer for a run at Giannis Antetokounmpo or, secondarily, a few other targets including Victor Oladipo."

Buoyed by the arrival of Jimmy Butler and the fast starts of several young contributors, the Heat have sprinted out to a 12-4 start and seem poised to shatter preseason expectations. That said, it's fair to wonder if there's a cap on the current core's success since Butler stands as the only established, in-prime star.

Adding a DeRozan or Aldridge changes that, even if both are either battling Father Time or will be soon. They might not be top-10 players, but they could be near the max of what Miami can reasonably afford without sacrificing a blue-chip prospect. That's assuming, of course, San Antonio would take something less in return, which feels far from a given, for now at least.

Grizzlies Insist They Aren't Buying Out Iggy

The Memphis Grizzlies and Andre Iguodala were headed for divorce as soon as they left the altar.

The Griz are a youth-rich organization that could be years away from competing for anything of substance. Iggy is a soon-to-be 36-year-old former Finals MVP who played in the last five championship rounds.

They know they aren't meant to be together, so they haven't been since Iggy was traded to Memphis in July. Both parties are waiting for a resolution that makes sense for their respective futures, while multiple contenders wait with fingers crossed that the veteran wing might one day hit the buyout market.

If you take the Grizzlies' word for it, that's not happening, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported on NBA Countdown: "The message that Memphis has been delivering to the entire league ... 'You are going to have to trade for him. We are not buying him out. He is not going to be on the free-agent market.'"

Marc Stein of the New York Times reported in July that Memphis hoped to fetch a first-round pick in any Iguodala deal, which might explain why the swingman hasn't relocated yet. He's a valuable piece come playoff time, but he's also a mid-30s rental with pretty severe shooting limitations.

This game of chicken could take a while, then, and it'll be fascinating to see whether someone meets Memphis' asking price, the Grizzlies settle for less or if the contenders' collective patience pays off and Iggy hits the buyout market after all.

The Charlotte Hornets are reportedly set to "target" Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond, though it's unclear whether they'll make a push to acquire him before the NBA trade deadline in February or wait until he can become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Sean Deveney of Heavy reported Friday the Pistons have "not yet considered moving" Drummond this season, but that could change following the team's 4-10 start.

"He'll be a priority [in Charlotte]," a source told Deveney. "It's just a matter of whether they make him a priority now and give up something to get him or try to make the move later. It's a very cautious group, Mitch Kupchak and those guys. But they might want to get this guy into the fold sooner rather than later, there's just a lot of incentive there on both sides."

Drummond is in the final guaranteed season of his five-year, $127.2 million contract with the Pistons. He can utilize a player option in the deal to become a free agent after the 2019-20 campaign.

The 26-year-old UConn product made comments in August that made it sound like a trip into the open market was a foregone conclusion.

"I'm a free agent next summer," Drummond told reporters. "Yeah, it should be fun. I'm excited. I think I'm the only one that has a big contract coming up for the year."

In October, Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press reported the sides have discussed an extension, but the two-time All-Star "would like to sign the second maximum contract of his career" and an offer of anything less from Detroit would probably lead him to free agency.

If the Pistons aren't prepared to give him a max deal, shifting focus to a potential trade is a likely step with the team already facing an uphill battle to make the playoffs.

Meanwhile, Charlotte has built a promising group of backcourt and wing players led by Devonte' Graham, Terry Rozier, Miles Bridges, Malik Monk and Dwayne Bacon. It also has rookie PJ Washington as a high-upside stretch 4 after a strong start to his NBA career.

Drummond, who's averaging 18.6 points, a league-leading 16.8 rebounds and 2.1 blocks through 14 appearances this season, would seem like a perfect fit for the Hornets' roster.

The question is whether Charlotte is comfortable giving up some assets to acquire him within the next couple months to make a postseason push this season or wait to see if it can attract him in free agency.

Three weeks into the 2019-20 season, the NBA's biggest stories are heavily focused on injuries to star players.

As the "load management" debate involving Kawhi Leonard rages on, Boston Celtics forward Gordon Hayward is about to miss extended time. Nothing can be viewed as a consolation to that disappointing news, but one All-Star is set to return from injury.

While basketball fans can expect updates on Hayward's absence soon, the latest rumors are focused on Kawhi and Blake Griffin.

No Strict Plan for Kawhi

So far this season, the Clippers have decided to rest Kawhi on the front end of two back-to-backs. He missed the Oct. 30 loss to the Utah Jazz and Nov. 6 loss against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Considering his injury history, limiting the stress on Leonard's body is wise. Last season, the Toronto Raptors strategically avoided playing him two nights in a row. The end result was someone prepared to play 39.1 minutes per game in the playoffs.

So, are the Clippers following the same strategy?

"There is no definitive plan to have Leonard avoid playing in any back-to-backs," sources told Jovan Buha and Sam Amick of The Athletic. They noted the Clippers have a total of 13 such situations this season, and the report continued:

"The remainder of his rest schedule will be handled a few weeks out at a time ... and on a to-be-determined basis."

Perhaps the leak is simply a tactic to avoid another fine. And we certainly wouldn't blame the Clippers for that.

In all likelihood, Leonard will continue sitting out with regularity. Although the NBA wants its superstars to play every night―and many will do exactly that―some players need rest. Leonard certainly appears to fit the latter category.

Before the month ends, the Clippers have two back-to-backs. The smart money is on Kawhi not playing in both games either time.

Griffin Ready for Season Debut

The Pistons mustered a 4-6 record in their first 10 games while playing without their star forward. Fortunately for Detroit, Griffin's absence is about to end.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the 30-year-old is expected to make his season debut Monday when the ailing Pistons host the 5-3 Minnesota Timberwolves. Griffin had been recovering from knee and hamstring injuries.

The timing is welcomed, for sure.

Derrick Rose has continued his resurgence with averages of 20.8 points and 6.3 assists, but he's missed four straight games because of a hamstring injury. Reggie Jackson (back) will remain sidelined for at least a couple more weeks.

That's a whole lot of production unavailable from Detroit's point guards. However, Griffin is uniquely able to help atone for it; he's dished 5.6 assists per game as a member of the Pistons.

Most of all, though, Griffin is about to solidify the frontcourt. Markieff Morris can shift into a reserve role, and Detroit won't need to rely on both Christian Wood and Thon Maker.

Griffin will rejoin Andre Drummond, who's carried the Pistons while posting career-high averages of 21.2 points and 18 rebounds.

Follow Bleacher Report writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.