Andre Drummond

The Los Angeles Lakers are considered potential suitors for center Andre Drummond if the Cleveland Cavaliers buy him out.

Marc Stein of the New York Times reported Monday that the Lakers believe they would receive "strong consideration" from Drummond on the buyout market. Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer reported the Lakers would prefer signing Drummond to DeMarcus Cousins, who is a free agent after the Houston Rockets waived him.

The Brooklyn Nets are also viewed as a potential suitor for Drummond, whom the Cavaliers have benched while they explore their options ahead of the March 25 trade deadline. 

Drummond averaged 17.5 points, 13.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 25 games with the Cavs this season. They chose to move on from Drummond after acquiring Jarrett Allen and installing him as their center of the future.

While Drummond could help several teams, most contenders can't match his $28.8 million salary in a trade. Neither the Lakers nor the Nets can find matching salaries without giving up a bona fide star, so making a trade with the Cavs is a nonstarter. The few teams willing to engage thus far makes it increasingly likely Cleveland will be forced to buy Drummond out after the deadline.

A team like the Charlotte Hornets (a package centered on matching expiring salaries and a draft pick) could wind up having more interest in Drummond as the deadline draws near.

Don't expect much movement for Drummond until the waning days before the deadline.

If the Cleveland Cavaliers want to trade Kevin Love, at least one Western Conference playoff contender is enamored with what he could offer.

Per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, the Dallas Mavericks feel Love would fix the problems they have had with three-point shooting and defensive rebounding:

"A source with knowledge of the Mavericks' thinking suggested Kevin Love as a much better fit [than Andre Drummond] given the team's 3-point woes and desire to surround MVP candidate Luka Doncic with shooters. Love would also help boost Dallas' problematic defensive rebounding metrics. Still, the Mavericks have two appealing expiring contracts—Tim Hardaway Jr. ($18 million) and James Johnson ($16 million)—that would help facilitate a deal."

Sam Amico of FortyEightMinutes.com reported Thursday the Cavs "would love to move" Love before the March 25 trade deadline.

One general manager told Amico, "That's not happening."

Love's contract is likely one significant hurdle for teams putting together offers. The five-time All-Star is owed $31.3 million next season and $28.9 million in 2022-23.

Another potential issue is Love's injury history. He's appeared in only two games this season because of a calf injury. He returned to practice Feb. 17, but no timetable for his return to games has been established. The 32-year-old missed 60 games during the 2018-19 season, mostly because of a foot injury.

The Mavs entered the All-Star break with an 18-16 record, though they have played better recently with nine wins in their last 11 games to climb to eighth in the Western Conference. They attempt the ninth-most three-point field goals per game (37.4) but rank 25th in three-point percentage (35.0).

Love shot 37.4 percent from behind the arc in 56 games last season.

The Chicago Bulls reportedly have "registered interest" in Cleveland Cavaliers center Andre Drummond, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

There is still "skepticism" a deal will get done before the March 25 deadline considering Drummond's $28.7 million salary this season.

Charania previously reported the Toronto Raptors also had talks about acquiring the center last month.

The Cavaliers have been holding Drummond out of games since mid-February in the hope of dealing him.

There is no denying Drummond's impact on the court, with averages of 17.5 points, 13.5 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.2 blocks per game in 2020-21.

The two-time All-Star has led the NBA in rebounding four different times, while he would rank second in the league this year with enough games to qualify.

His 4.7 career offensive rebounds per game would be especially valuable for any contender, including a Bulls team that ranks 19th in the league in offensive rebound percentage this year.

Wendell Carter has had strong performances at center for Chicago, but the squad has few alternatives down low with Thaddeus Young and Lauri Markkanen used at times out of their natural positions.

With a 16-18 record entering Thursday, the Bulls are in the mix for a playoff spot for the first time since 2017, and a veteran like Drummond could help put the team over the top. The key for the franchise is ensuring not to sacrifice too much with an emerging young core around Zach LaVine.

The 18-17 New York Knicks are suddenly contenders in the Eastern Conference, but they still might not be active in the trade market ahead of the March 25 deadline.

"They want to hold down the fort with what they have for now," Marc Berman of the New York Post reported.

Berman did note the Knicks are "analyzing" a potential trade for Andre Drummond, although there doesn't appear to be much urgency to swing a huge deal.

The squad's biggest issue at the moment is frontcourt depth with Mitchell Robinson out with a broken hand and Taj Gibson dealing with an ankle injury. Nerlens Noel has since eased some concerns, averaging 8.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game across his last eight starts while the team has gone 6-2. Recently named All-Star Julius Randle can also spend time at center.

Head coach Tom Thibodeau said Sunday his team doesn't need any new additions.

"We have more than enough on the roster, so we'll figure out a way," Thibodeau told reporters. "We have guys that can play multiple positions, and then we're going to have to take care of the rebounding, gang rebound. Everyone has to contribute in that area."

After seven years without a playoff berth, the Knicks are currently fourth in the East, ahead of the Miami Heat, Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors.

Keeping the current squad intact and potentially adding small pieces from the G League or free agency could be enough for New York to stay competitive.

As the New York Knicks chase a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, they are reportedly considering engaging in trade discussions for center Andre Drummond. 

Per Marc Berman of the New York Post, the Knicks are "analyzing" if they want to talk with the Cleveland Cavaliers about the two-time All-Star. 

The Knicks could use additional help at center with Mitchell Robinson out indefinitely after having surgery on Feb. 16 to repair a fractured bone in his right hand. 

Drummond hasn't appeared in a game since Feb. 12 against the Portland Trail Blazers. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported three days later that the Cavaliers were working to trade the 27-year-old. 

Cleveland has committed to Jarrett Allen as its starting center since acquiring him as part of the multiteam deal that sent James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets. 

The 6'10", 279-pound Drummond is in the final season of his five-year, $127 million contract originally signed with the Detroit Pistons in July 2016. He was averaging 17.5 points and 13.5 rebounds in 25 games with the Cavaliers this season before being shut down for the trade discussions. 

The Knicks have already added scoring help by acquiring Derrick Rose from the Pistons on Feb. 8. Head coach Tom Thibodeau's team is currently in last place in the Atlantic Division with a 15-17 record, but it's seventh in the Eastern Conference standings. 

Two days after the Cleveland Cavaliers announced they were going to sit Andre Drummond while pursuing trade opportunities, a number of teams around the league have reportedly expressed interest in the two-time All-Star. 

Per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, there are at least eight to 10 teams that have shown interest in trading for Drummond. 

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Brian Windhorst, Cleveland's decision to sit Drummond was made after conversations between general manager Koby Altman and Drummond's agent, Jeff Schwartz, who agreed he "would remain with the team but would no longer be active for games."

The Cavs started this season with an encouraging 9-9 record, but they have since dropped 10 of their last 11 games. They appear to be looking toward the future by building around Darius Garland, Collin Sexton and recently acquired center Jarrett Allen. 

Allen, who was acquired from the Brooklyn Nets as part of the deal involving James Harden, has started four of the past five games. He's averaging 13.2 points and 7.9 rebounds in 16 appearances with Cleveland. 

Drummond is in the final season of his current contract. The 27-year-old was off to a strong start with 17.5 points and 13.2 rebounds per game in 25 starts before it was decided he wouldn't play for the time being. 

Given his size and rebounding ability, Drummond should be one of the more attractive trade candidates for teams looking to solidify their status as playoff contenders down the stretch. 

Cleveland Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff told reporters Wednesday he's concerned the team shutting down Andre Drummond to explore trade avenues could impact the team's morale. 

Bickerstaff added that he expects the team to remain professional and focused despite the awkward situation, which will see Drummond continue traveling with the team but sitting out games to avoid injury ahead of the March 25 trade deadline.

The Cavs received public criticism for sitting out Drummond, most notably from Draymond Green, who pointed out the hypocrisy of players being criticized when asking for a trade but being forced to sit when a team wants to trade them. 

"Nobody's opinion should be muted. Conversations that we've had with our guys as far as this process goes that everybody's not privy to," Bickerstaff said. "Guys have [a] right to speak their voice and organizations have to do what's best for the organization."

Green made extended comments about Drummond's situation this week, juxtaposing it with the criticism James Harden received for requesting a trade from the Houston Rockets. 

"To watch Andre Drummond, before the game, sit on the sidelines, then go to the back, and to come out in street clothes because a team is going to trade him, it's bulls--t," Green said. "Because when James Harden asked for a trade and essentially dogged it ... no one's going to fight back that James was dogging it his last days in Houston," Green said. "But he was castrated for wanting to go to a different team and everybody destroyed that man, and yet a team can come out and say, 'Oh, we want to trade a guy,' and then that guy has to go sit, and if he doesn't stay professional then he's a cancer, and he's not good in someone's locker room, and he's the issue."

The Cavs and Drummond mutually agreed sitting the two-time All-Star was the best course of action, but it's a signal that the franchise has essentially given up on trying to win this season. Drummond averaged 17.5 points and 13.5 rebounds this season for the Cavs, coming out of the gate strong before tapering off after Cleveland acquired Jarrett Allen.

The Cavs inserted Allen into the starting lineup in place of Drummond and plan on installing him as their franchise center.