Andre Drummond trade rumor erupts as Chicago Bulls hit all-star break

There is a very different vibe around the Chicago Bulls entering this season’s All-Star break compared to last season. As Chicago hosted the 2020 festivities, the Bulls were mostly irrelevant sitting 19-36 on the season, with rumbles of organizational change making waves throughout the weekend. This time around, Chicago is in the thick of a playoff race with an All-Star in Zach LaVine and a competent head coach in Billy Donovan, and there are even rumors of commercial interest in the center of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Andre Drummond.

Being just 34 games in a weird season in a strange Eastern Conference helps the Bulls’ cause, but LaVine’s jump under Donovan and a solid bench of veterans made this team more competitive. Chicago is making a habit of beating lesser opponents while staying at least close to the top teams, even if victories do not yet come against quality competition. A 16-18 record and almost breaking mid points differential even highlights this leap to mediocrity, which is a legitimate step forward given the results of previous seasons.

With the Bulls firmly in the playoff mix and just two games behind the fourth-seeded Boston Celtics, a key question is how this new front office will approach the March 25 trade deadline. Will they be looking to sell the veterans who helped them win like Thaddeus Young? Will they try to upgrade the roster for a playoff push? Are they just standing there?

Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas made his first regular-season media appearance before his new team lost to his former team, the Denver Nuggets, on Monday. Naturally, Karnisovas was asked about the trade deadline and its evolution around the NBA.

“Extending the playoffs to 10 teams and then to two or three is still an illusion and I think they can get to 10, I think that makes a very interesting trade deadline,” Karnisovas said, by KC Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. “But you know Billy and I are spending more time discussing how we can improve this group, and now we are focusing on this group that we have, which is playing well and which had a first month of victory in February.” . The last few games have slipped but I think overall this group is doing much better and looking forward to seeing the next 40 games …

“I never consider the player to be a commercial commodity. Right now, we are focusing on winning matches, as the separation between fourth and tenth place is one and a half. So this group is doing pretty well. I think now 12 or 13 are in (the playoff mix) in the East. So I just think the teams will try to improve, and there won’t be a lot of sellers. So I think we’re just going to focus on our guys and how to improve them.

Karnisovas was not going to reveal his strategy, but his update on the play-in tournament and the elimination of the Eastern sellers makes sense. This could potentially give the Bulls an opportunity, especially with Young, to recover valuable long-term assets. This path should be considered given that the franchise still needs more high-end talent.

On the other hand, Chicago could end up being one of those teams that really push for the playoffs. LaVine hasn’t experienced playoff basketball in his career and is dying to do so, so maybe the Bulls aren’t selling and trying to improve the roster to help him. reach this goal.

This is where the Drummond rumor comes in. Athletic’s Sham Charania reports that Chicago has a “registered interest” in the Cavaliers center, although nothing is imminent and there is skepticism about it. a Drummond exchange. Drummond has not played as Cleveland tries to strike an acceptable deal for the 27-year-old, who is on an expiring contract of $ 28,751,774.

The Bulls can easily match Drummond’s salary with Otto Porter Jr.’s expiring $ 28,489,239 contract. Porter’s nagging back injury complicates matters, however, and the Cavaliers would likely want something else. Chicago wouldn’t dare include a first-round pick, but a second-round pick could be on the table. Chandler Hutchison and Daniel Gafford are inexpensive young players potentially available, and there is always the possibility of expanding a deal to include other players.

Of course, it’s fair to ask whether the acquisition of Drummond is worth it, as it is about to hit unrestricted free agency. Fans have been clamoring for the Bulls to level up at center due to how superstars like Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic have roasted them lately. In addition to running out of time due to injury, Wendell Carter Jr.’s performance has been patchy in the third year, and his Gafford substitutes Luke Kornet and Cristiano Felicio are unreliable. Drummond’s size and gross production make him naturally attractive.

However, Drummond’s real impact often does not match his robust statistics. His effort comes and goes, so sometimes he looks dominant defensively and other times he’s just another guy. His scoring efficiency isn’t impressive for a player who works so hard around the basket, with his true shooting mark of 50.0% in 25 games this season, a particularly ugly number. He’s at 53.8% for his career and was consistently around a 55% average the few seasons before this one. His free throw shot isn’t as bad as it used to be, but it’s still not good. Its assistance / turnover ratio is not pretty.

It’s understandable to be frustrated with the Bulls’ central rotation and think that a rejuvenated Drummond would help a playoff push, even if it was in a smaller role. This scenario is not outside the realm of possibility, although the assumption is that it would come here to begin with. Chicago would then have to wonder if they think Drummond is the long-term answer at the center and then figure out what to do with Carter while potentially still having to deal with Lauri Markkanen’s predicament.

Taking a bet on Drummond would be defensible, and it is only fair that the Bulls do their due diligence in dealing with the situation. The Big Man isn’t a definitive upgrade, however, so Chicago should tread lightly and patiently explore all of the options.