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As per the latest NBA Trade Rumors, Andre Drummond could be heading to the Toronto Raptors. Last night, the Cleveland Cavaliers' center was taken out of the Cavs' rotation, as the team is reportedly working on a potential deal for him.
Drummond opted into his $28.7-million option for the 2020-21 NBA season and remained with Cleveland. However, a trade before the March 25th deadline is always on the cards, as he will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
On that note, let's have a look at three teams that could target Andre Drummond this season.
NBA Trade Rumors: 3 teams that could benefit the most from Andre Drummond's presence
Many NBA Trade Rumors have put the Brooklyn Nets as one of the major contenders for Andre Drummond.
However, the Nets expect to get Drummond if he works a buyout with the Cleveland Cavaliers, as the former don't really have many assets to give up at this point. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski spoke about Andre Drummond and the Nets recently on 'The Jump'.
(Drummond's situation is discussed at the 2:30 mark in the video.)
The 27-year-old center, who is a two-time NBA All-Starm has led the league in rebounding in the last three seasons; he currently ranks second this campaign in rebounds per game.
Drummond is also leading the league in Total Rebound Percentage. His rim protection and rebounding could be great assets for title contenders. Moreover, he is also averaging 17.5 points per game.
So, without further ado, let us take a look at the three teams that should target Andre Drummond.
#3 Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors might need a center with Andre Drummond's attributes, as their stats from the ongoing campaign would suggest. However, triggering a trade for Andre Drummond could depend on the franchise's approach: focus on the current season or the future.
The Golden State Warriors have Stephen Curry at arguably his greatest level ever, and they might want to take advantage of that fact. However, a trade for Andre Drummond would not make them contenders right away; in fact, it might not make them contenders at all.
Nevertheless, they have a need for a big man, as Kevon Looney and promising rookie James Wiseman have missed a couple of weeks with ankle and wrist injuries respectively.
Andre Drummond might take minutes away from Wiseman and inhibit his development. But he would certainly solve the Warriors' rebounding struggles: they have conceded the third-most rebounds to opponents per 100 possessions this season, ranking 26th in Total Rebounds Percentage.
#2 Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks have been disappointing this season. Of course, injuries and the NBA's health and safety protocols have been harsh on them. But the team is certainly not performed to their caliber. They currently have a 13-15 season record, and could use Andre Drummond to solve some of the issues plaguing their roster.
Dallas rank 27th in Defensive Rating this season, with 115.4 points allowed per 100 possessions. They are also 19th in Defensive Rebound Percentage and 24th in Total Rebounds per game per 100 possessions.
Andre Drummond ranks ninth in the NBA with a 104.9 Defensive Rating so far, so his rebounding ability could be huge for Dallas this campaign. Moreover, the likes of Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis in the team could convince Andre Drummond to stay for a while, something that could only be beneficial for the franchise.
#1 Toronto Raptors
The absence of Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol has been felt by the Toronto Raptors, especially in the paint, since the duo's exit in the off-season. The Raptors brought in Aron Baynes and Alex Len, but neither of them has played at the level Ibaka or Gasol did for the franchise.
Len was waived on January 19th after just seven games with the Toronto Raptors; Baynes remains with the team, but has produced only 5.6 points and 5.5 rebounds per game in 24 starts. He was coming off a good season, with 3P shooting of 35%, but he has made only 22% of his threes with Toronto this campaign.
Thus, pairing Andre Drummond and putting Chris Boucher as his backup could be a huge move for a Toronto team that has improved in the last few weeks after a difficult start to the season.
Reportedly, the Toronto Raptors have shown interest in acquiring the services of Andre Drummond.
The trade would make sense, as the Raptors need a great rebounder (they rank last in Total Rebounds per 100 possessions), and Andre Drummond happens to be arguably the greatest rebounder in the competition.
Moreover, Andre Drummond's career average of 13.8 rebounds per game is the seventh-best in NBA history.
Also Read: "Do you not think that affects someone mentally?" Draymond Green blasts the NBA for differential treatment of teams and players in trade situations.
Guess the Lakers players!
