Cavs: 3 Andre Drummond to Knicks trade scenarios that work

Why this works

This trade works for the obvious reasons. For the Knicks, they get Andre Drummond. The Cavs get three expiring deals, two of whom in Frank Ntilikina and Nerlnes Noel won’t be back next year more than likely and if Noel is, it’ll be on a team-friendly deal. Then there’s Alec Burks, who’s also on an expiring deal and is actually having a solid season for the Knicks.

Burks and Noel could be nice pieces defensively if they agreed to new deals.

Why this doesn’t

Part of why the trade works for Cleveland is that both Noel and Burks are great additions to a defense-first system like the one the Cavs are trying to implement. Burks can help stretch the court some, and he and Noel improve the defense tenfold. The problem? The Cavs and Knicks run the same setup basically. If the Cavs want Burks and Noel, it’s fair to say the Knicks would want them for the same reason.

Verdict

It’s certainly doable, the money checks out. The problem comes down to the Knicks and whether or not they feel fine sending that many people over to Cleveland for Drummond. If they value Drummond that much and see him as such an upgrade, the move is a no-brainer, but again, part of the hook is getting Noel and Burks to re-sign then.