x
Breaking News
More () »

Cavs add talent, maintain flexibility in Andre Drummond trade

Just ahead of Thursday's NBA trade deadline, the Cleveland Cavaliers acquired Andre Drummond in a trade with the Detroit Pistons.

CLEVELAND — The tweet from Adrian Wojnarowski revealing that the Cleveland Cavaliers had acquired Andre Drummond from the Detroit Pistons doubled as a cliffhanger.

Without knowing who the Cavs were sending to Detroit, it was impossible to evaluate the trade.

Based on Drummond's stature and salary, a couple of obvious candidates stood out. Perhaps Cleveland had opted to swap Tristan Thompson, whose contract expires at the end of this season. Or maybe the Pistons had set their sights on Kevin Love due to Blake Griffin's uncertain future.

But once The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor reported the actual package the Cavs were sending to the Pistons for Drummond, the entire scope of the trade changed. In exchange for the 2-time All-Star center, Cleveland was parting ways with guard Brandon Knight, center John Henson and a second-round pick.

That's it.

Credit: AP
Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond (0) stands on the court during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Washington Wizards, Monday, Jan. 20, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

The Cavs' acquisition of Drummond is, of course, more complex than the fact that they gave up two players who weren't a part of their long-term (or even immediate) future and a low-value draft pick for the NBA's top rebounder. And the entire scope of the transaction won't truly come into focus -- at the earliest.

But even without seeing how Drummond performs in Cleveland -- and for how long he'll remain a member of the team's roster -- this much is undeniable about Thursday's trade: for at least the remainder of this season, the Cavs got better. And they didn't give up much to do so.

In Drummond, Cleveland acquired a three-time league rebounding champion, who is currently averaging 17.8 points and an NBA-high 15.8 rebounds this season. The 6-foot-10 big man has averaged a double-double in each of the past seven seasons, while his career average of 13.9 rebounds ranks seventh all-time in NBA history -- a list in which each of the other top 16 members are either in the Hall of Fame or likely headed there.

What's more is that despite already being in his eighth season in the league, the 26-year-old Drummond still fits into a realistic timeline for the rebuilding Cavs. Should the rest of this season go well, it's not crazy to think Cleveland could consider the 2016 All-NBA third-team selection to be a member of its core.

Of course, Drummond will have a sizable say in whether or not that's even a possibility. With a player option for next season, the Connecticut product can either enter free agency this offseason or opt into the final year of his current contract for a $28.7 million salary.

How Drummond performs in the next three months will likely play a role in what the Cavs will be rooting for him to do. But even if he goes against their wishes, Cleveland will have options.

Should Drummond opt out of his contract with the Cavs wanting to keep him, they'd still be able to offer him the best contract on the market, having acquired his Bird Rights in the trade with Detroit. Meanwhile, should Drummond opt into the final year of his contract against Cleveland's wishes, the Cavs would still possess plenty of cap flexibility -- as well as the ability to trade Drummond for some sort of return.

As far as how Drummond will fit on Cleveland's roster and whether or not he's the type of player the team would want to commit a sizable salary to, those are questions that will be answered in the months to come. But considering what they gave up, it'd be tough to look at Thursday's trade from a Cavs perspective as anything but a low-risk, high-reward move.

RELATED: Social media reacts to report of Cleveland Cavaliers acquiring Andre Drummond from Detroit Pistons

RELATED: Andre Drummond says there's 'no friends or loyalty' in NBA after trade to Cavs

RELATED: Report: Tristan Thompson buyout 'not an option' if Cavs can't find trade

RELATED: Report: Cavs make Tristan Thompson available ahead of trade deadline

Before You Leave, Check This Out