Detroit Pistons: 5 Andre Drummond trades

Clint Capela has been on the trade block to make a big three in Houston to compliment the All-NBA backcourt of James Harden and Russell Westbrook. Drummond’s 17.3 points and 15.6 rebounds per game would be a perfect complement to Harden and Westbrook as he can perfect Capela’s and Steven Adams’ role by being more athletic, better rebounder, and a better lob catcher.

Capela averaged 16.6 points and 12.7 rebounds per game, while Adams averaged 13.9 points and 9.5 boards per game. Drummond’s stat line is better in both important areas for a center. With how deadly Harden’s shooting and how often Westbrook will miss his three’s giving more opportunities for Harden and Westbrook to make more three’s and capitalize on their second-chance points.

Getting Drummond won’t be cheap for the Rockets, so they’d have to give up two of their starting five to add the league’s best rebounder over the last few seasons. The Rockets would look to probably have a line-up looking like Westbrook, Harden, Eric Gordon, Danuel House and Drummond. As we all know, the Mark D’Antoni system relies on everyone jacking three’s, this makes Drummond the perfect center for this system.

Drummond’s 5.4 offensive rebounds means five more shots for Houston’s lethal shooters. Those five rebounds would mean two or three more made 3-pointers so adding six-to-nine points would really help the Rockets in the playoffs. While giving up P.J. Tucker, Capela, and two first round picks may seem a lot, as the Raptors showed last year, going all-in for a title can work and those picks will seem like nothing down the road.

How the Pistons change

For the Pistons’ side of this deal, the two picks that the Pistons would receive will probably be in the 20’s, but with the recent late pick success and development from Coach Dwane Casey, every extra player is another opportunity at a Pascal Siakam type player. Capela is a lesser version of Drummond and is being payed about $10 million less a season so that would be a good price for his ability. Tucker is a very solid 3-and-D player as we saw with his performance guarding Kevin Durant in the Rockets series against the Warriors. Tucker scored 10.8 points per game and grabbed 8.2 rebounds per contest while also stealing the ball twice a game, skills that would complement Griffin well.

Having a lineup of Jackson, Kennard, Tucker, Griffin, Capela would be a solid lineup that’s better than our current lineup in my opinion.