The New York Knicks did not make any significant splash in the trading deadline on Thursday, but there is a great player available that they can aggressively chase. After an incredible comeback win over the Washington Wizards, the Knicks showed their resilience, which can be attractive to an All-Star twice as Andre Drummond.
Drummond was bought by the Cleveland Cavaliers because they were unable to find a trading partner and reportedly “hear the pitches” from several teams, including the Los Angeles Lakers and Knicks.
Cleveland canceled Drummond weeks ago in the hope of finding a commercial claimant, but with his massive $ 28.8 million salary, the teams were unwilling to accept a contract of this size. He’s in the final year of a $ 127.2 million five-year deal and, at just 27, still has plenty of quality basketball.
This season, he has averaged 17.5 points, 13.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.6 deals and 1.2 blocks in 25 games. He is consistently a double-double player who is a fantastic presence in the painting and consistently blocks shots at high speed.
The New York Knicks are in the running:
The Knicks, however, face competition from several major teams with superstars. New York is still rebuilding and looking for suitable pieces to add interesting players to its puzzle. They are a dominant force for being an above average team that can beat teams of the caliber of the playoffs, but most recently lost to the Brooklyn Nets and the Philadelphia 76ers twice.
The problem that Drummond can create in New York is the presence of Mitchell Robinson and Nerlens Noel. The head coach, Tom Thibodeau, is concerned about the possibility of disrupting their chemistry, and he is completely fine with the current team of players they have. I would say that Noel, who signed a one-year, $ 5 million contract with the Knicks in the last off-season period, may be leaving next year. If the Knicks acquire Drummond and extend it for a long term, they can quickly replace Noel and start developing new chemistry with Andre and the top five.
Having an in-house elite presence who is also a physical defender at the point of attack would be stellar, and with Robinson quickly approaching the end of his contract, having a player like Drummond in jail can be seen as a big plus.