Cleveland Cavaliers

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.

Cleveland Cavaliers power forward Larry Nance Jr. is expected to miss "approximately" six weeks after undergoing successful surgery on a fracture in his left fourth metacarpal on Monday.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Sunday that Nance was expected to miss four to six weeks.

Nance played Saturday against the Milwaukee Bucks after missing the previous three games with a sprained right wrist. ESPN's Brian Windhorst noted that he fractured his finger during the Milwaukee game.

The 28-year-old has appeared in 19 games with 18 starts this season amid the Cavaliers' 10-14 start. He owns averages of 9.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.9 steals per game, while shooting 48.3 percent from the field and 38.1 percent from beyond the arc.

The Wyoming product, who is in the middle of a four-year, $44.8 million deal with the Cavs, previously missed eight games in the 2018-19 season due to a right knee sprain and started much of last season on the bench.

While Nance doesn't put up monster numbers, he is a do-everything player who contributes in multiple areas and at both ends of the court.

There will be even more pressure on star center Andre Drummond to dominate until Nance is able to come back, while the rest of the frontcourt depth will be put to the test as well.

Former Brooklyn Nets Taurean Prince and Jarrett Allen could both see action at power forward alongside Drummond, and veteran center JaVale McGee could receive increased playing time as well.

Veteran NBA guard Matthew Dellavedova tweeted he is not considering retirement after Joe Vardon and Kelsey Russo of The Athletic reported Thursday the Cleveland Cavaliers reserve is weighing the option.

Russo and Vardon reported Dellavedova is experiencing "problematic symptoms" since suffering a concussion on Dec. 12 but the guard said his focus is on returning to the court as soon as he's healthy. 

Dellavedova has yet to play this season but was named to the Australian Olympic team for the Tokyo Games in 2021 earlier this week. 

It's unclear when he'll be able to return to the court. 

The 30-year-old averaged 3.1 points, 3.2 assists and 1.3 rebounds in 57 games with Cleveland last year, bringing his production down to career-low levels, yet he remains a fan-favorite among the Cavs after spending multiple seasons providing an energy boost off the bench. 

Per Russo and Vardon: 

"Head injuries and the symptoms they present can take a while to heal, but Dellavedova has endured multiple concussions during his seven NBA seasons. A concussion suffered late in the 2018-19 season caused him to miss the last 16 games of that campaign with the Cavs.

"However, Dellavedova was back on the court that summer for Team Australia, competing in the FIBA World Cup in China. His love of country and dedication to the Australian national team is playing a role in his continued fight to return to the court, sources said." 

Cleveland head coach J.B. Bickerstaff told reporters in mid-January that the team remains cautious with Dellavedova's rehab process and will make sure he's fully recovered before taking any further steps. That just doesn't include talk of retirement for the time being. 

The Cleveland Cavaliers reportedly have no interest in buying out the remainder of star center Andre Drummond's contract. 

Michael Scotto of HoopsHype spoke with eight anonymous NBA executives and just two of them expected a buyout to happen, and a league source told Scotto the team isn't interested in that option. Most said they believe a trade is possible before the March 25 deadline, however.

Drummond is in the final year of his contract and is enjoying a career year statistically with 18.2 points, 14.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.4 blocks per game.

In addition to being first in the NBA in rebounds per game for the fourth consecutive season, Scotto noted that Drummond is tied for first in defensive win shares (1.4) and second in defensive rating (100.4).

Despite his dominance at the center position throughout his nine-year NBA career, Drummond hasn't been valued as much as one might think.

Last season, the Detroit Pistons traded Drummond to the Cavs, and all Cleveland had to give up was John Henson, Brandon Knight and a 2023 second-round pick.

The executives Scotto spoke with believe a similar situation could play out this season. Multiple execs suggested the Cavaliers may only be able to net one or two second-round picks in a deal involving Drummond.

Another executive said the Cavs "might be able to get a protected first-round pick," but matching Drummond's $28.7 million salary in a trade could be difficult for a contending team since they are unlikely to want to subtract much from their roster.

Drummond seems unlikely to return to the Cavaliers next season since they acquired center Jarrett Allen in the multi-team trade that sent James Harden from the Houston Rockets to the Brooklyn Nets.

Trading Drummond before the deadline could give the Cavs an opportunity to see exactly what they have in the 22-year-old Allen before signing him in restricted free agency.

If it turns out that the Cavaliers can't get much more than a second-round pick or two in return for Drummond, then they may be best off hanging onto him for the duration of the campaign since they currently occupy the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference at 10-12.

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Matthew Dellavedova is "still experiencing problematic symptoms" from a concussion he suffered Dec. 12 that are "preventing him from ramping up workouts in any real capacity," according to Joe Vardon and Kelsey Russo of The Athletic. 

Retirement is reportedly an option for Dellavedova at this point, though a source told Vardon and Russo that there "isn't anything conclusive" when it comes to decisions about his playing future. He reportedly wants to continue playing if possible. 

Dellavedova has a history of concussions in his career, another factor he'll have to weigh when deciding whether he can return this season. 

"He's taking steps, but they're small steps," Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff told reporters Jan. 16 while providing an update on the veteran point guard. "With the history that he has, with the concussions, we're taking every caution that we possibly can to make sure that he's gonna be fully recovered first before we do anything with him."

The 30-year-old Dellavedova has averaged 5.6 points and 3.7 assists per game, making a name for himself in the NBA with his defense and playmaking, largely in a reserve role. He won a title with the Cavaliers in the 2015-16 season as Kyrie Irving's backup and cashed out that offseason by signing a four-year, $38.4 million contract with the Milwaukee Bucks. 

After parts of three seasons with the Bucks, he returned to Cleveland in the 2018-19 campaign. He signed a one-year, $2.1 million contract to serve as Collin Sexton's backup this season. 

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff told reporters big man Andre Drummond and forward Larry Nance Jr. will not play Monday's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Drummond spent parts of the first eight seasons of his career with the Detroit Pistons, but the Cavs acquired him prior to last season's trade deadline for only John Henson, Brandon Knight and a 2023 second-round pick.

In eight games with the Cavaliers last season, Drummond averaged 17.5 points, 11.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.4 blocks. When taking his time with the Pistons into account, he put up 17.7 points, 2.7 assists, 1.9 steals and 1.6 blocks in 2019-20.

So far this season, his first full campaign in Cleveland, Drummond is averaging 18.5 points, 15.1 rebounds and 1.4 blocks.

The 27-year-old Drummond is a two-time All-Star and four-time NBA rebounding champion, but his future beyond this season is somewhat in question. He exercised the $28.7 million option in his contract to return to the Cavs this season, but he can become a free agent during the offseason.

The Cavaliers are not one of the NBA's best teams, so Drummond's potential absence won't have much of an impact on their season as a whole.

One thing Drummond possibly missing time does do, however, is make it more difficult for the Cavs to evaluate him and determine whether he is a long-term fit.

The Cavaliers don't have much of an interior presence aside from Drummond, so teams will likely be able to have their way in the paint until he returns.

Jarrett Allen and JaVale McGee will likely see the biggest boost in playing time while Drummond is out.

As for Nance, he is averaging 9.6 points and 6.9 rebounds as one of Cleveland's secondary playmakers. His presence isn't quite as important as Drummond's, and Taurean Prince and Cedi Osman will likely see an uptick in playing time while he is sidelined.

"Souls tend to go back to who feels like home."

That is what Kevin Love wrote on his Instagram post announcing he and Kate Bock were engaged. The picture he included also featured the engagement ring:

Love and Bock have dated since 2016, and she participated in the Cleveland Cavaliers' championship parade with him when the team overcame a 3-1 deficit to defeat the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals.

Bock is a model who was on the cover of the 2020 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition.

Love has played just two games this season for the Cavaliers, who are off to a 9-10 start.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are looking to clear up their logjam in the frontcourt by putting Andre Drummond on the market, according to Jason Dumas of KRON 4 News.

The team is seeking draft capital in return for Drummond and Kevin Love, while the Cavs are already having discussions about dealing JaVale McGee.

During a recent appearance on Yang Speaks (starting at the 1:16:41 mark), Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer reported the Brooklyn Nets would be interested in Drummond if the veteran gets bought out by the Cavs.

”People around the league say the Nets are hoping that Andre Drummond, the Cavs center, gets bought out," O'Connor said. "That's what people say they're hoping for, but that's unlikely ... it's so unlikely because Cleveland's in it [for a playoff spot]."

Drummond could represent a major boost to a contender as the leading rebounder in the NBA (14.6 boards per game). He is also averaging a career-high 18.7 points per game, as well as 1.4 blocks and 1.4 steals.

The 27-year-old came to Cleveland in a 2020 trade that was mostly a salary dump, with the Detroit Pistons receiving John Henson, Brandon Knight and a 2023 second-round draft pick. 

Henson and Knight played a combined 20 games in Detroit and remain unsigned free agents.

Drummond made $27.1 million during the 2019-20 season and picked up his player option for 2020-21 worth $28.8 million, per Spotrac. Though he still has a high salary, it will be easier for a new team to cover a few months of the contract after a midseason trade before he hits free agency in the offseason.

Teams aren't always looking for true centers who can't shoot in the modern NBA, but Drummond is a two-time All-Star who has led the NBA in rebounding four times in his first nine seasons. In 2018-19, he finished 11th in the league with 10.0 win shares.

Meanwhile, a trade could allow Cleveland to add more assets for the rebuild while clearing playing time for recently acquired center Jarrett Allen.

The Brooklyn Nets may not be done dealing.

According to Jason Dumas of KRON 4, the Nets "are in active discussions with the Cleveland Cavaliers to acquire JaVale McGee" and are also at least interested in Kevin Love.

However, a league source told Brian Lewis of the New York Post that Love is unlikely because of the Cavs veteran's "mediocre" defense and sizable contract (Love is making $31.3 million this season and is owed another $60.2 million through 2022-23).

Dumas also noted the Cavaliers may attempt to trade both Love and Andre Drummond in an effort to bolster their rebuilding process with draft capital but will not trade Jarrett Allen.

The idea of Love joining the Nets is the headliner of Dumas' report.

After all, they are already championship contenders with Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving. While depth—and the salary cap—may be a problem, adding Love would give them another championship-winning veteran who is accustomed to playing under the bright spotlight the Nets will find themselves in during the playoffs.

Love won a title with the Cavaliers in 2016 as teammates with Irving and is a five-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA selection who can hit from the outside, score on the blocks, grab double-digit rebounds and turn heads with impressive outlet passing.

He is also someone who deferred to LeBron James and Irving during that championship run with Cleveland, so playing alongside Brooklyn's trio likely wouldn't be an issue for the veteran.

Although it appears Love could potentially fit in with the Nets, Lewis' report casts doubt on the possibility of him potentially being added to Brooklyn's star-studded roster.

As for McGee, the Cavaliers center is averaging 8.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game through his first 14 appearances of the season. And while Love's contract may be tough for the Nets to take on, McGee is making $4.2 million in 2020-21 and is set to become a free agent at season's end.

McGee has shown the ability to be a productive role player on championship teams, as he has won three championships (two with the Golden State Warriors and one with the Los Angeles Lakers) in the past four seasons.

Meanwhile, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that Cleveland is not interested in trading Allen.

After all, he is 22 years old and scheduled for restricted free agency this coming offseason. He is an impressive rim-protector who can also put up a double-double with points and rebounds on any given night, so Cleveland may look to sign him to a long-term deal as its big man of the future.

Drummond is an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and Love is 32 years old.

The Cavaliers are not likely to be championship contenders in the near future while they are both still on the roster, so adding to their draft capital would allow them to capitalize on their value prior to the trade deadline.

Cleveland Cavaliers power forward Larry Nance Jr. will miss Monday's game vs. the Los Angeles Lakers with a right wrist injury suffered on Sunday vs. the Boston Celtics, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.

Nance, 28, had a solid season for the Cavaliers in the 2019-20 campaign, averaging 10.1 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. He largely came off the bench behind starting power forward Kevin Love.   

Nance hasn't been immune to injury issues in his past, however, as a sprained MCL cost him a chunk of games in the 2018-19 campaign.

The Cavaliers made a significant commitment to Nance in Oct. 2018, signing him to a four-year, $44.8 million contract extension. It was a huge moment for Nance, who grew up in Cleveland watching his father play for the Cavs.

"Surreal doesn't even cut it," Nance said after signing the contract, per the Associated Press (h/t NBA.com). "I grew up here. I grew up in this building watching my dad play. To re-up here for four more years and get to wear the (number) 22 in the city of Cleveland, I can't put it into words. There's no place I would rather be."

Nance will have to watch from the sidelines following his latest injury, however. While he's out of action Taurean Prince, Andre Drummond and Jarrett Allen will see the majority of the minutes in the frontcourt.