One of the biggest names on this year’s NBA trade market is star center Andre Drummond, and the Chicago Bulls should get involved.
A true center is tough to find in today’s NBA, and it’s also not fully necessary. So many teams are playing small ball and have players lining up at the five who can shoot from long distance. The days of a big-bodied center, posting up and shutting down the paint, seem to be over.
However, the few who can still do it well can still be considered valuable — and that’s Drummond. Yet, he is likely to be moved prior to the deadline.
The guy is a walking double-double, averaging over 14 points and 13 rebounds per game for his career. This season, with Cleveland, Drummond is posting a line of: 17.5 points, 13.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.2 blocks.
It’s tough to imagine the Bulls entering the Drummond sweepstakes, especially if Cleveland ends up buying him out and he is allowed to choose his next destination. But, if the Bulls wanted to take a shot on a 27-year-old big man who has plenty of elite basketball left in him, this is the right move.
Should the Chicago Bulls deal for Andre Drummond and thus give up on a former lottery pick?
Trading for Drummond would then raise the question of what to do with Wendell Carter Jr. In three seasons, Carter has yet to show he can stay healthy. He’s also developing a little slower and looks to be a guy who might be best served as a backup center after all.
Carter has had some very good games, but he’s also had some inconsistencies. For a no. 7 overall pick, the Bulls were expecting more, to say the least.
Regardless of what were to happen with Carter, the Bulls should at least throw their name into the conversation of landing Drummond. The following deals could potentially get it done.