An interesting trade suggestion has popped up that would benefit the Cavs in their long-term future, more so than holding onto Andre Drummond.
NBAAnalysis.net’s TJ Porreca has an intriguing trade proposal surrounding Andre Drummond that would give the Cleveland Cavaliers a real chance at being competitive in the 2020-2021 season while shedding some salary. It’s not the best trade in the world, but since the Cavs gave up next to nothing to get Drummond in the first place, to turn around and trade him out of the division while receiving a top-flight defender and a promising young big man in return is a pretty solid move. They may not match Drummond’s rebounding but they’re so much better off than Brandon Knight and John Henson; the two men sent to Detroit to acquire Drummond in the first place.
In his trade scenario, Porreca pitches the Cavs trade Andre Drummond to the Clippers for Patrick Beverly, Ivica Zubac, and Rodney McGruder. This is a solid deal, though it’d be even better if the Cavs could get a first-round pick out of the Clippers.
Ideally, the trade would work better if the Cavs got back a couple of seconds or even a first-round pick. The Cavs have a depth of draft picks but more is always better. Especially considering the 2020 NBA Draft Class isn’t exactly the deepest thing out there. Future draft classes will have better lineups and if the Cavs can have a steady supply of draft capital, that means they can truly build a team for the first time in some time. Finally able to not be so reliant on LeBron James.
So why would this trade work?
The Cavs end
Frankly, the Cavs need some stable players. Especially stable in the two-way game, which both Patrick Beverly and Ivica Zubac do very well. Zubac may not be the most athletic defender out there but he’s shown a great willingness to put his butt on the block and force other big men to go through him. That’s pretty necessary when you’re playing down low. Zubac’s offensive game is also pretty unique. He’s not Nikola Jokic or anything but he can be a double-double player with enough touches and minutes.
While Beverly may not excite as many people as he does this particular writer, it’s worth noting that Beverly is arguably the best perimeter defender in the NBA and that’s saying something considering how undersized he is. He’s an instant upgrade over Darius Garland as a starter and brings a toughness that other guards on the Cavs don’t bring.
Sure, he’s a bit overpaid and he isn’t exactly the most efficient offensive player but if you draft Deni Avdija and have him play with Beverly, all the ball-dominant stuff would be in Avdija’s hands. That, or you could have Collin Sexton serve more as the primary ball-handler next to Beverly. Either way, the defense will be better and you’d have a younger, cheaper option in the low-post.
Plus the Cavs get out from under Drummonds contract, frees up cap room, and gives the Cavs two far more manageable trade assets in Beverly and Rodney McGruder’s contracts.
The Clippers end
It may not be the biggest addition to the team but Andre Drummond does bring a defensive effort that wasn’t there in the playoffs. The Clippers may be better off improving their guard play regardless and not their big men but seeing that Montrezl Harrell may be on the move in the offseason, the Clippers will need to fortify their low-post defense.
Drummond is a double-double machine but offensively he’s limited. On a team like the Pistons or the Cavs that’s a problem, as those teams need as much offense as they can muster. For the Clippers, they don’t need more offense necessarily as they need more consistent players in general. Drummond brings an upgrade in size and defense over Harrell, while also bringing a knownig stability. You know what he’s going to do night in and night out. Drummond can also focus more on rebounding and playing defense than he would need to elsewhere, which will only improve his defensive rating.
Shooting wise, the trade doesn’t help the Clippers out at all but the Clippers can still recruit or make a move to acquire a better shooter to put with Drummond, Paul George, and Kawhi Leonard. Maybe the Clippers go after Luke Kennard or maybe they move JaMychal Green and Marcus Morris in a sign-and-trade to go get a Bradley Beal-type.
They don’t need to make the move with the Cavs to bolster their perimeter shooting. They need to do it to replace Harrell and improve their overall defense.
Overall, this is a good trade for both teams.