Should the LA Clippers Trade For Andre Drummond?

How would the Cavaliers' big man fit in LA?

SI Staff | Jan 25, 2021

Since the Cleveland Cavaliers quietly acquired Center Jarrett Allen in the blockbuster James Harden trade, the consensus has been that Andre Drummond’s days in Cleveland are numbered. There are just too many cooks in the big-man kitchen, particularly once Kevin Love returns. Now, an unsubstantiated rumor is claiming that the Clippers are eyeing Drummond in a deal that would send Ivica Zubac, Patrick Beverley and Lou Williams to Cleveland in exchange for the former All-Star. But does this deal really make sense for the Clippers?

A common criticism is that the Clippers lack the interior size to compete with other Western Conference teams with talented big men (Anthony Davis, Nikola Jokic etc.). This criticism was proven somewhat valid last year during the Clippers’ playoff collapse at the hands of the Denver Nuggets. But the Clippers addressed this issue in the offseason, letting the defensively-challenged Montrezl Harrell walk in free agency and signing Serge Ibaka.

Ibaka brings a defensive versatility that the Clippers were missing, and he’s probably a better matchup against Davis and Jokic than Drummond would be. While Drummond is bigger than Ibaka, he lacks the mobility to stay in front of bigs who can handle the ball and hit shots outside of the paint. Ibaka can move his feet, and still has the strength to bang with bigger players when they post up. Drummond might be a tenacious individual rebounder and averages more than twice the number of rebounds that Ibaka does, but the Clippers already have a higher rebound percentage than the Cavaliers as a team.

There is also the issue of floor spacing. Ibaka’s ability to shoot gives Kawhi Leonard and Paul George room to operate, and while Drummond probably views himself as a three-point threat, he likely never will be.

To give up an All-Defense level starting point guard, a three-time Sixth Man of the Year (albeit an aging one on an expiring contract) and a young big man with a ton of upside is simply too high a price for Drummond, who is also on an expiring contract and will likely demand a big payday in free agency. The Clippers are better off keeping their bullets in the chamber until a more suitable player becomes available, either via trade or the buyout market.

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