NBA Rumors: Spurs Could Acquire Andre Drummond For LaMarcus Aldridge & Second-Rounder
With the Cleveland Cavaliers recently deciding to sit Andre Drummond while they look for a suitable trade partner, a number of teams have been mentioned as potential destinations for the two-time All-Star center. These include the San Antonio Spurs, which, as recently proposed, could acquire him in exchange for a package featuring LaMarcus Aldridge and a 2021 second-round pick.
On Monday, Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz published a list of trade ideas involving Drummond, noting in his entry for the Spurs that the team might want to break its tradition of not making midseason moves by swapping the 35-year-old Aldridge for the erstwhile Cavaliers star, who is eight years younger. As pointed out, Aldridge has “taken a big step back” in 2020-21, as he is currently averaging a career-low in rebounds while dealing with a hip injury that has forced him to miss several games.
According to Swartz, Aldridge might not be a long-term solution for the Cavaliers’ losing ways if the hypothetical deal pushes forward. Given his age and declining performance, he might be flipped to a contender or ultimately get bought out. However, acquiring him would allow Cleveland to save close to a pro-rated $5 million in salary-cap space while also getting a second-rounder that could yield another young player to help in the rebuilding process.
“If the Cavs could flip Aldridge for anything more, that would be an added bonus,” Swartz added. “If not, Cleveland would still retain its cap space for 2021.”
Before the Cavaliers changed his status to inactive, Drummond was putting up big numbers for the club, averaging 17.5 points, 13.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.2 blocks, per Basketball-Reference. While his shooting percentages are down from the previous season, he has converted a solid 47.4 percent of his field-goal attempts.
Meanwhile, Aldridge’s statistics have declined considerably as compared to the ones he tallied for the Spurs in prior seasons, according to his Basketball-Reference page. The seven-time All-Star is currently averaging 14.1 points and 4.3 rebounds while shooting 47.6 percent from the field and 35.8 percent from beyond the arc.
While a move to the Spurs could potentially improve the team’s chances of returning to the postseason after last year’s early exit, Drummond has mostly been rumored to be headed to the Toronto Raptors. Recently, it was suggested that the Raptors could acquire the former University of Connecticut star for veteran point guard Kyle Lowry and three future first-round selections. Such a deal would give them a capable replacement for Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol, who respectively moved to the Los Angeles Clippers and Lakers in the 2020 offseason.
