The Detroit Pistons have begun listening to trade offers on star center Andre Drummond, a league source told Def Pen on Tuesday afternoon.
While not outright shopping their prized center, the Pistons appear to be more open to trading Drummond away than ever before, the source said.
The Lakers are among the teams who have expressed an interest in trading for Drummond, the source said. However, with general manager Mitch Kupchak losing his job and Magic Johnson taking over as president, it remains to be seen if the team still has an interest in acquiring the UConn product.
Toronto also made an offer for Drummond before trading for Serge Ibaka, as first reported by Sports Illustrated. ESPN’s Marc Stein first reported earlier Tuesday that teams believe Detroit will not discourage trade inquiries for Drummond.
The Pistons, who currently sit at eighth place in the East, have been competing for their Playoff lives for much of the season. Moving in and out of the top eight ranked teams, Detroit has had a mostly underwhelming season for a roster that has decent talent across the board. Pistons president Stan Van Gundy’s decision to begin taking trade calls on Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson signal the team’s willingness to move on from their star players, and potentially move in a different direction.
When comparing Jackson’s and Drummond’s situations, league sources believe Jackson is the player with the highest chance of being traded before the deadline. Detroit has discussed deals centered on Jackson with the Magic, Timberwolves, and Knicks, according to reports.
League observers believe the Boston Celtics will test their chances on Drummond, with general manager Danny Ainge still seeking to complete a blockbuster deal that lands them a superstar before the deadline.
Boston has reportedly expressed interest in Chicago Bulls All-Star Jimmy Butler, along with Indiana Pacers All-Star Paul George. It is believed that Boston, if it has still failed to reach agreement on a mega-deal right around the deadline, will execute a secondary plan of trading for a non-coveted big man. Among the names, Andrew Bogut and Nikola Vucevic stand out.
Drummond, who’s in his fifth season with the Pistons, has seen his per-game averages decline since last season. After averaging 16.2 points and a league-best 14.8 rebounds in 33 minutes last year, Drummond has averaged 14.6 points and 13.8 rebounds in just 30 minutes this season. Despite the slight decline of production, Drummond can still serve as the valued rebounder and rim protector the Celtics desperately need, should they choose to express interest in him this week.
At 23 years old, Drummond is still a young, talented commodity coveted by several teams across the league. Teams will gladly take him in, but Detroit’s asking price is reportedly far from cheap.
The NBA trade deadline falls at 3:00 PM ET on Thursday afternoon.
