LOS ANGELES – Cleveland Cavaliers starting center Andre Drummond, who is a button recently, will not play in the game against the Los Angeles Clippers. Drummond was excluded for rest purposes.
Although Drummond has been at the center of rumors about trading and buying out, several league sources tell cleveland.com ‘nothing is at hand’.
The deadline for trade is March 25 and it seems unlikely that Drummond will still be in Cleveland after that date. According to Athletic’s report, the Cavs are ‘open for business’ – a logical approach given Jarrett Allen’s arrival in January and with Drummond and JaVale McGee over both contracts.
Drummond has reportedly aroused interest from the Brooklyn Nets and Toronto Raptors, among others teams that continue to monitor the situation. According to sources, the Cavs received offers for each of their centers, but only Drummond and McGee are considered ‘available’.
Drummond recorded 17 frustrating minutes on Friday night in the 129-110 defeat of Cleveland against the Portland Trail Blazers, who often seem uninvolved and uninvolved with the team. Cavs head coach JB Bickerstaff scored eight points and grabbed five rebounds. He mentioned the possibility of a role change for Drummond if he could not regain his rhythm and once again become the dominant inner force that was instrumental in the surprising start of the team.
“Everything is always on the table,” Bickerstaff said after the loss. ‘We’re focusing again on trying to be the best version of himself he can be. We always have to face difficult and difficult decisions. We are not afraid of these decisions, but our first goal is to make him the best version of himself again. ”
With Drummond out Sunday, Allen moves to the starting point. The Cavs will have the five-man squad – Darius Garland, Collin Sexton, Isaac Okoro, Taurean Prince and Allen – revisited, leading to their only win in the last seven games.
In six February starts, Drummond averaged 14.3 points and 8.3 rebounds. He missed the first game this month, a two-point win over Minnesota, due to low back pain.
Sunday begins a three-game-in-four-night series for the Cavs. They play the second game of a rugby match against the Golden State Warriors on Monday night – the last stop on this tough five-trip series. The Cavs have lost eight of their last nine games and are 10-17 this season.
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