Several notable teams are reportedly in the middle of the Andre Drummond draw, but the Toronto Raptors certainly need more of the Cavs’ big man.
To keep things simple, Raptors desperately need help reinforcing their interior, and the 6ft-10 double-double machine fulfills all the requirements that are currently missing.
Raptors fans know that before being forced out by the Cleveland Cavaliers until he found a suitable trading partner, Andre Drummond scored solid numbers of 17.5 points, 13.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.6 steals. ball and 1.2 blocks in 25 games.
Things have not been going very well for the Raptors since they lost Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol in the off-season to the Clippers and the Lakers, respectively. This brings the need for Andre Drummond. Toronto’s experience with Alex Len definitely didn’t work, whereas having Aron Baynes starting at 5th is yielding mixed results so far.
Coach Nick Nurse has been content with a small ball lineup at the moment, as the Raptors currently occupy the seventh seed in the East with a 13-15 record.
The East has changed this season, and it seems that changes to the list of players are in order for the Raptors if they plan to keep up. Getting an All-Star twice as Andre Drummond will be a good start.
While a purchase is the perfect scenario for Raptors to obtain the 27-year-old slot machine, it is likely that the Cavs will want to obtain assets in return.
The tricky part for the Raptors would be to match Drummond’s remaining $ 28 million in his contract before joining the free agency next season.
In retrospect, the simplest offer Raptors can make is a direct exchange from Drummond to Kyle Lowry.
It makes sense in terms of salary, as Lowry is also an expiring contract and the Raptors are also open to parting with their franchise star.
The Cavs, on the other hand, can absorb Lowry’s $ 30 million contract with the Raptors and will have a significant limit next season when he hits the market.
But Cleveland is unlikely to accept another star, considering that they bet all their chips on their promising defense court of Collin Sexton and Darius Garland.
The Raptors will have to separate from several players just to be able to land Drummond.
The deal: Raptors send Aron Baynes, Norman Powell, Terence Davis and Patrick McCaw to the Cavaliers by Andre Drummond
Although the Cavs probably also wanted future choices for Drummond’s services, this four-player trip is not really a bad return for them from the Raptors.
Baynes gives them a decent support center for Jarett Allen, while Powell is a two-way Raptor resource that can reinforce his wings. Davis and McCaw are fillers to match wages, but they can also give some valuable minutes to a Cavs team that needs fit bodies.
The Raptors, for their part, will be taking a big risk here, as they will lose some key guys in the rotation for a player who could end up being a very expensive rent.
Before the Raptors office pulls the trigger for such a deal, they must obtain at least verbal confirmation that Drummond will re-sign with the team after the season.
Toronto can always fill its squad spots with highlights from its G-League affiliate, while there are still some useful veterans on the market that they could sign up for at a low price.
If the Raptors insist on taking Drummond out of a buying scenario instead of a trade, there is a chance that other teams like Mavericks, Clippers and Nets could pull him out.
