CLEVELAND — With the second-worst record in the entire NBA and just one game in back of the Golden State Warriors for the worst, it stood to reason that the Cleveland Cavaliers would be sellers at the trade deadline, but that was not the case.
On Thursday, the Cavaliers made a trade within the Central Division when they acquired Andre Drummond from the Detroit Pistons in exchange for center John Henson, point guard Brandon Knight and the lesser of their two picks in the second round of the 2023 NBA Draft.
“He just gives us a dimension we haven’t had in quite some time,” Cavaliers GM Koby Altman said in a conference call Friday. “We just thought it was an unbelievable opportunity for our franchise and for our players to play alongside Andre.
“We’ve been through a lot of battles with him over the years and in the playoffs. This is a player we’ve always coveted, and to have the opportunity to add him to the Cavs was an opportunity we didn’t think we could pass up.”
When the trade was made, Drummond initially seemed surprised and hurt by the fact that the Pistons dealt him to the Cavaliers, but Altman is sure the 6-foot-10, 279-pound center will be a good addition to the locker room.
“In my conversations and my texts with him, he’s really excited about coming,” Altman said. “He said, ‘I’m hyped to be there. Let’s have some fun. I can’t wait to get down there.’…This is a new opportunity for him, and I think it motivated Andre Drummond even more so than what he has been doing, which is incredible.”
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In 591 games over eight seasons with the Pistons, Drummond averaged 14.4 points, 13.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.6 blocks over 31.1 minutes of play. Drummond has made 54.1 percent of his field goal attempts in his NBA career.
In addition to the 13.9 rebounds-per-game average during his career, Drummond, a two-time All-Star, has led the NBA in rebounding four times, including each of the last three seasons, as well as the 2015-2016 campaign.
“He’s a presence,” Altman said. “He’s an absolute presence at the rim. I think people forget a big part of defense is rebounding, and what we did was acquire an elite defensive rebounder, the best in the game. We’ve struggled with that, sort of the long rebounds, 50-50 balls, deflections out and not being able to end defensive possessions.
“In pick-and-roll defense, having a presence at the rim, maybe not so much shot blocking, even though he’s top 10 in the league, he provides a presence and you feel him. He alters shots. Sometimes, he just negates them by you not wanting to go in there. He’s a monster on the glass.”
Currently, Drummond is under contract through the end of the season, but has a player option for the 2020-2021 season that is worth north of $28.7 million. Even though Drummond could opt out after the year, the Cavaliers view him as a long-term investment.
“There’s no better money spent than on Andre Drummond if he picks up his player option,” Altman said. “We have flexibility and optionality moving forward, but these next 30 games or so, I think he’s really going to enjoy playing with our guards and Kevin Love as well.
“With his age and what he brings to the table, we have to consider him a long-term play.”