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Dallas Mavericks likely out of Andre Drummond trade talks with Friday trades

By Spyros Papadakos

SACRAMENTO, CA - JANUARY 10: Andre Drummond #0 of the Detroit Pistons faces off against Willie Cauley-Stein #00 of the Sacramento Kings on January 10, 2019 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)
SACRAMENTO, CA - JANUARY 10: Andre Drummond #0 of the Detroit Pistons faces off against Willie Cauley-Stein #00 of the Sacramento Kings on January 10, 2019 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Dallas Mavericks were one of the few teams left that had interest in trading for Andre Drummond. They got their center in Willie Cauley-Stein.

The Dallas Mavericks were one of the few teams left that had interest in trading for Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond. They addressed their need for a center by trading a second-round pick for Willie Cauley-Stein.

Trading for Drummond would have done a lot to fix their frontcourt rotation and please Kristaps Porzingis, who prefers playing at power forward, but they decided to make a smaller move.

Since they have cap space in the summer, they can still pursue Drummond in free agency, so it’s logical that they were reluctant to part with any assets to get him. Especially since his trade market  is shrinking by the minute.

According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the Mavericks first sent Isaiah Roby — whom the Pistons drafted and traded to Dallas — for Justin Patton, who was cut to clear a roster spot. Then, Dallas sent a second round pick to the Warriors for Cauley-Stein, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported.

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Dallas’ need for a center became urgent when Dwight Powell suffered an Achilles tear on Tuesday. The Mavericks acted quickly and are tied for fifth in the Western Conference standings, three games behind the second-place Jazz and Clippers and 7 1/2 behind the league-leading Lakers.

It would have been great to see Drummond next to Luka Doncic and Porzingis but it seems like that’s not happening at least until the summer.

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The Hawks, the Knicks and the Celtics had already pulled themselves out of the race, Charania reported with Inside Pass on The Athletic Friday, and now the Mavericks are out too.

Well, it seems like Drummond won’t get traded after all.

The Detroit Pistons are looking for first round picks or “quality young players” and that kind of offer just doesn’t seem to be on the table.

The Pistons are not looking to just unload Drummond nor should they. He has a player option at the end of the year valued at $28.8 million, but he’ll probably decline so he can test the market. So there’s no point in taking contracts back without draft assets attached to them.

There’s always the possibility that they can re-sign him on a value deal or that he opts in, in which case his trade value goes up.

In any case, the Pistons will probably only get low-ball offers for him until the trade deadline, so it’s highly likely that Drummond finishes the season as a Piston.

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