NBA Rumors: Pistons Inquired About Trading Andre Drummond To Hornets For Monk And Batum, Per ‘Scoop B’
For seven seasons and counting, Andre Drummond has been a mainstay for the Detroit Pistons, consistently producing double-doubles in points and rebounds and providing a strong defensive presence for the team. But with the Pistons currently ninth in the Eastern Conference with a 20-26 record and having made the playoffs only once since the 2009-10 season, the latest rumors suggest that Detroit is considering a few potential trades that could see Drummond moving to a new NBA home for the first time in his career.
On Wednesday afternoon, NBA insider Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson took to Twitter, where he cited an unnamed source and noted that the Pistons recently have “explored trade scenarios” for Drummond. He mentioned the Charlotte Hornets as one of the teams interested in the 25-year-old big man’s services, adding that the Pistons reportedly were interested in acquiring veteran wingman Nicolas Batum and young combo guard Malik Monk in return.
According to ESPN‘s list of NBA season leaders, Drummond is currently leading the league in rebounds with 14.9 per game, and also averaging 16. 3 points, 1.2 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.7 blocks. He has, however, missed three consecutive games due to a concussion, and is still considered questionable for the Pistons’ upcoming game against the Dallas Mavericks on Friday, according to CBS Sports.
Detroit Pistons seem to avoid major injury with Andre Drummond (nose) https://t.co/02u9YNcV37
— Detroit Free Press (@freep) January 19, 2019
The Charlotte Hornets are one spot ahead of the Pistons in the Eastern Conference, with their 22-24 record putting them in eighth place. As shown on the Hornets’ team page on Basketball-Reference, Batum is averaging 8.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.4 assists as the Hornets’ starting small forward, while Monk is coming off the bench and posting averages of 10.2 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in his second year in the league.
Per ESPN‘s Trade Machine, a hypothetical deal sending Andre Drummond to the Hornets in exchange for Nicolas Batum and Malik Monk could work if based on the players’ combined salaries but could cost the Hornets four wins and leave the Pistons’ record unchanged, in the event the trade pushes forward.
As of this writing, no other publications or league insiders have corroborated Robinson’s tweet about the rumored talks between the Detroit Pistons and Charlotte Hornets. However, both teams have been subject to a few other trade rumors ahead of the NBA’s February 7 trade deadline. Citing a report from the Athletic, SB Nation‘s Detroit Bad Boys wrote on Wednesday that the San Antonio Spurs are considering trading for Pistons wingman Stanley Johnson. Meanwhile, the Hornets have reportedly listened to offers for star point guard Kemba Walker, but appear determined to re-sign him once he becomes a free agent this summer, as previously reported by the Inquisitr.
