The Cavs are shopping around Andre Drummond, but so far there aren’t any takers due in part to the contract swap, that’s where the Knicks come in.
The Cavs are having a hard time moving Andre Drummond, and the word on the wire is that it’s due to the Cavs not wanting to take back a massive contract in return. There are a few that are out there but the Cavs may not be interested in an overpaid player. The Cavs could try and make a deal with the Warriors happen, shipping Drummond over for Draymond Green, but Green’s contract and declining play is a non-starter.
So the Cavs have to focus on moving Drummond to a team with space for him, where the Cavs can get back a young player or two in exchange for eating an expiring deal. There aren’t many teams like that.
The Knicks, Hornets, and Thunder are the only teams over the salary cap at the moment and the Thunder would want love to make a deal for Drummond. Not for his skills, but to get Al Horford’s horrid contract off their books.
The Hornets would be a great trade destination in theory, but they don’t have anyone but Malik Monk that the Cavs have a shot at getting, and the Hornets would have to send over Bismack Biyombo and Cody Zeller to make the deal work. Sure, Drummond’s an upgrade over both, but do you want to gut your big-man depth that much, and send over Monk?
That’s a stretch. That leaves the Knicks. So what three deals could be done with the Knicks to send Drummond to the Big Apple?
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.
Why this works
The Cavs would be thieves for pulling this off. It’s not like they haven’t had those types of trades before, (Baron Davis trade that got them the first-overall pick, Jarrett Allen in 2021) and this could be another. While Kevin Knox is going down the bust-path really fast, Obi Toppin would be a heck of a get. Sure, he’s having an awful rookie year, but that’s partly because the Knicks aren’t playing him.
What if he just needs to play, and could develop into something with significant minutes? Toppin seems like he’s going to have a hard time developing in New York, and it’s not like we haven’t seen lottery picks traded during their rookie years in the past. Chauncey Billups got traded midway into his rookie year and he was picked in the top-seven. The Knicks get back Andre Drummond and two-second round picks that should help ease the burn of getting rid of one rookie. Besides, it’s not like the Cavs are asking for Immanuel Quickley, their rookie who’s actually playing well.
Why this doesn’t
It all comes down to perceived value. Do the Knicks value Drummond more than Toppin or Toppin more than Drummond. You’d have a hard time finding anyone who would argue that the Knicks wouldn’t send Noel and Knox out for a guy like Drummond, but the potential of Toppin is the obvious sticking point. Maybe the Knicks can be persuaded. It’s not like they’re a great match in year one.
Verdict
In a trade that the Cavs only give up Drummond, this is the best-case scenario. While Knox and Toppin are having their issues, they are both guys who could do something if given regular minutes. If the Cavs go into full sell mode and move on from Kevin Love, JaVale McGee, and Kevin Love as well, then the Cavs will need bodies to eat minutes.
Why this works
Same reasons for Nerlens Noel and Kevin Knox as before. With Reggie Bullock, he’s arguably New York’s worse regular player, posting negative RAPTOR scores in both offense and defense, and ranking among the bottom in all of the Knicks efficiency grades. The Knicks won’t miss him. That’s where the second-round pick comes in.
More than likely Bullock would get bought out, Noel may not re-sign and even if he does he’s a one-way player. Then there’s Knox who could possibly never get any better, so yeah, the need for a pick is important here.
For the Knicks, they get Drummond.
Why this doesn’t
Regular complaint as before, it’s about depth. Do the Knicks feel they’re giving up too much talent to get Drummond. It’s hard to say they are, Drummond’s an upgrade over Noel by a large margin and it’s not like Knox or Bullock are actually game-changers. It makes no sense to not make this trade.
Verdict
Utterly uninspired and quite possible that it could happen.