The Detroit Pistons might have the hottest trade commodity in Andre Drummond. The factors are better than the Cleveland Cavaliers have in Kevin Love.
Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond may be the best option for a team looking to trade for a big man.
He’s certainly better than Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love. The two met twice over the last three games and Drummond was a force with totals of 51 points, 43 rebounds, six assists, three steals and two blocks.
Drummond, 26, was dominant and he’s been playing well since news broke that the Pistons were engaging in trade negotiations with the Atlanta Hawks, and likely other teams. Love has had a bumpy road with the Cavaliers, including a disagreement with general manager Koby Altman and showing up his teammates.
Both frontcourt men are on the trade block and both are represented by agent Jeff Schwartz. Schwartz and his clients likely realize that the free agent market will be bare in 2020 with the loaded 2021 class. So a trade is likely best for contending teams to try and improve their roster, with Drummond likely the top free agent in 2020 and Love comparable in talent.
It’s a topic that was widely debated on Brian Windhorst’s Hoop Collective podcast, which featured Royce Young and Kevin Arnovitz. While the trio debates how Drummond’s style fits in the league in the near future with his pending free agency, he makes more sense than Love as a trade target.
Drummond is the league’s best rebounder, he is solid as the screen man in the pick-and-roll (paging Trae Young), has had nice touch around the rim as of late and is a quality pick-and-roll defender. He is also on an expiring contract worth $27.1 million.
His power lies within his $28.8 million player option he holds for the 2020-21 season. As the trio reference on the podcast, teams covet cap space, especially for the summer of 2021 with marquee free agents available. That would increase is trade value, the assets the Pistons could fetch, which may lessen the hesitation contending teams may have.
The bird rights Drummond’s contract holds are valuable, especially to a rebuilding team in a small market whose timeline and resources aren’t the same of large market teams. That’s why teams like the Hawks, Charlotte Hornets and Cavaliers could have interest.
Love is the better fit for the modern NBA game, where teams like to space the floor, because he can shoot from the perimeter. He’s a career 37.1% 3-point shooter and is above that average at 38.5% from 3-point range for the season.
What hinders Love is an expensive contract. He’s in the first year of a four-year extension that will pay him $91.5 million over the next three seasons, taking him through the 2022-23 season. That severely hinders a teams flexibility to sign a free agent.
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Another strike against Love is he’s been hampered by injuries. The only time he played 80 games in a season was his rookie season in 2008-09, when he played 81 games. He’s only hit 70 games in three of his 11 seasons after that.
One player that could throw a wretch in the Pistons and Cavs plans is Dewayne Dedmon, who needs a change of scenery. The 30-year-old forward was an above-average rotational player the last four seasons with a Player Efficiency Rating of at least 15.8. But this season it’s down to 8.3.
His true shooting percentage has dropped from 60.2% to 50.7%. He spent his previous two seasons in Atlanta and became a consistent 3-point shooter, converting 37.2% on 358 attempts. It’s what earned him a three-year, $40 million contract. Though it takes teams beyond the 2021 season on the cap sheet, it’s more affordable than what Love will be paid or Drummond will be worth in the open market.
The trade market is starting to heat up and national analysts and reporters are taking notice. It’ll be interesting to see how the ball bounces over the next few weeks prior to the Feb. 6 trade deadline.