With trade speculation picking up for Andre Drummond, the Charlotte Hornets may be one of the teams in trade talks.
The Charlotte Hornets currently sit at the 9th spot in the Eastern Conference and have a chance to make a run at the 8th spot. If the Hornets’ goal was to make the playoffs, a simple trade would help them reach it.
On Friday, it was reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, that several teams were in talks with the Detroit Pistons for Andre Drummond. One of the teams mentioned were the Atlanta Hawks, but some think the Hornets are one of the other teams interested; Sean Deveney of Heavy.com is one who believes the Hornets are still interested.
More from Swarm and Sting
- Hornets: Where does Brandon Miller’s ceiling rank among other rookies?
- Charlotte Hornets grade out mostly average in position-by-position ranking
- Hornets News: P.J. Washington makes bold statement on Brandon Miller
- Grade the mock trade: Hornets snag Tyler Herro, flip Gordon Hayward
- Will the Charlotte Hornets be in the 2024 NBA Draft Lottery?
Drummond is currently serving the final year of his contract, and the Pistons are looking to dump his contract. Whatever team gets Drummond, will have the ability to offer him a 5-year contract, while others will only be able to offer a 4-year one next summer.
The veteran center is easily having the best season of his career, as he’s averaging 17.6 points, 15.8 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, and 2.0 steals per game. Drummond has labeled himself as a defensive anchor with his play.
However, the Charlotte Hornets have had a history dating back to last season with their interest in Drummond. The Hornets have not got a deal to go yet, but last season, Brandon Robinson reported that the Pistons were interested in Nicolas Batum and Malik Monk.
The Hornets have the assets to give up to make a trade for Drummond to work. This is a trade that could be done with limited financial restrictions. For what the Hornets need, this trade makes too much sense.
The Hornets are currently the 27th ranked team in defense with a rating of 112.5. They are also tied for 30th in the NBA in defensive rebounds per game with 31.6; this makes them the worst rebounding team in the league.
What’s sad, is that Drummond is averaging more rebounds per game than Cody Zeller and Bismack Biyombo combined. Zeller is averaging 7.5, while Biyombo is grabbing 5.6 rebounds per game.
For one center to be averaging more rebounds, steals, and blocks per game than two of your centers combined is ridiculous. Drummond is the key to a majority of the Hornets’ defensive issues in the paint.
Drummond also has the ability to score in the paint at will. With his size, teams have a tough time guarding him in the paint.
If the Hornets are indeed one of the teams involved in these talks, I would recommend that they make this one happen. This team is built to compete, and I don’t see this team giving up anytime soon. Charlotte is already shaping up to finish the season with a similar record to what it had last season.
The NBA trade deadline is almost a month away, and teams will begin to make trades soon. If the Hornets are looking to make a trade, I expect them to make one soon so they can have time to fix their rotations.