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As the smoke clears on a chaotic NBA trade deadline and players begin to pack their bags, some front offices, including perhaps the Los Angeles Clippers, are turning their attention to the next round of musical chairs: the buyout market.
The buyout market is comprised of players who want to leave (usually) and whose team wants them to leave (usually). But for some reason, most often a prohibitively high contract, a trading partner can’t be found, so the team has the option of buying out the player’s contract. If they do, the player becomes a free agent, available to any team with the cap space and an open spot.
Normally thin on big talent and lacking in fanfare (at least compared to the hysteria of the trade deadline), this season’s buyout market looks to be unusually lucrative. And some of those in the know—maybe the most in the know—believe the Clippers could have an interest in one of the prized castoffs.
“Andre Drummond is going to be the crown jewel of that buyout market by all appearances right now,” said ESPN’s well-connected analyst Adrian Wojnarowski during his “Deadline Special” one day before the deadline. ”Both Los Angeles teams — the Lakers, the Clippers — are expected to have great interest.”
Paid Time Off
Drummond is technically still a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers, but the imposing 6-foot-10 big man hasn’t played a minute since February 12 when the Cavs decided to prioritize playing time for 22-year-old Jarrett Allen. Before he took a seat, Drummond was averaging 13.8 rebounds (4.0 offensive) and 17.5 points for the Cavs, but those numbers weren’t enough to entice a trade in the face of Drummond’s $28.7 million salary.
In a buyout situation, however, the Clippers could be interested in that kind of production, particularly the rebounding, and Drummond would almost certainly be a useful addition to the Clippers’ current pair of centers, Ivica Zubac and Serge Ibaka.
But there are game-time limitations to Drummond’s value as well, argues The Athletic’s John Hollinger.
“He has no shooting range (although that hasn’t always stopped him from trying) and is not a threatening rim runner,” wrote Hollinger. “And while he’s pretty good operating from the elbows, that’s not a place you want him to set up if he’s the fourth or fifth option. His biggest impact would likely be on the offensive glass, where he can beast his way to second shots. The more bricks a team shoots, the more valuable he becomes, but that doesn’t describe most contenders.”
The other problem is, even if the Clippers want Drummond, the 27-year-old will have plenty of other suitors. Wojnarowski mentioned the Mavericks, Celtics and Nets as potential callers, but he was most confident about the Lakers making a push. And Hollinger floated the idea of the Knicks using their $13.5 million cap space to go after Drummond.
A (Slightly) Different Team
Preventing their division rival Lakers from getting Drummond could be incentive enough for the Clippers to try and woo Drummond. But it takes two to tango in this scenario, so regardless of the Clippers’ intentions, they will have to wait and see where Drummond’s arrow points.
Buyout market or not, the Clippers will look different coming out of this deadline period after agreeing to trade Lou Williams and two second-round draft picks to the Atlanta Hawks for veteran point guard Rajon Rondo.
While Rondo’s play this season in Atlanta has been nothing to write home about, the Clippers are expecting the two-time championship to provide a wise, steady hand in the backcourt and to raise his game during the playoffs, as he did most recently with the Lakers in their championship run last season.
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