After losing All-Star forward Blake Griffin indefinitely to knee surgery, the Detroit Pistons are reportedly moving forward with their plans to potentially trade star center Andre Drummond before the trade deadline.
According to The Athletic’s Sam Amick, Detroit has no intention of signing Drummond to a max contract this offseason and has made it known that he’s widely available for trade.
Detroit reportedly engaged in discussions on a blockbuster deal that would have sent the All-Star center to the Atlanta Hawks earlier this season. However, according to Amick, a trade with the Hawks is unlikely to happen unless they change their stance on including a first-round pick.
Drummond, a two-time All-Star, is averaging 17.8 points and a league-high 16.2 rebounds per game this season. The 26-year-old is also a force on defense, averaging 1.9 steals and 1.8 blocks per game.
While a deal with Atlanta current seemly unlikely, the report indicates that the Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics are exploring the trade market for bigs.
Boston owns its own 2020 first-round pick along with the Memphis Grizzlies’ first-round selection (top-six protected) and the Milwaukee Bucks’ 2020 first-round pick. Dallas can’t trade a first-round pick until 2025 following the Kristaps Porzingis’ trade.