With the trade deadline looming, multiple teams are showing trade interest in Cleveland Cavaliers center Andre Drummond.
Add the Houston Rockets to that list, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
Yes, the Rockets, who are going through a rebuild of their own and are expected to have a firesale either at Thursday’s deadline or after the season.
As Scotto noted, Drummond would be an odd fit in Houston, given that everyone else who’s interested in him is a contender. But Drummond’s expiring contract is also appealing to teams that would like to have money off the books at the end of the season.
Scotto defined the Rockets’ interest as merely “exploratory,” and most other teams would have a reason to obtain Drummond as well.
But can a trade actually work out for both an opposing team and the Cavs? It feels like a long shot at this point, and most opposing executives believe the sides are headed for a buyout.
Still, the interest is there. And the only way to guarantee Drummond being on your roster is to trade for him.
More Out of Cleveland
- In case you missed it, rival teams expect Drummond to sign with the Lakers if he does indeed land in the buyout market. The Lakers, of course, could only offer Drummond the veteran’s minimum salary. So far, the Cavs have gotten nowhere close to a trade.
- The Cavs have been discussing JaVale McGee trades with multiple playoff contenders — a list that supposedly includes the Brooklyn Nets, Portland Trail Blazers and others. Cleveland is looking to fetch a second-round draft pick in a McGee deal, Scotto reported.
- Several teams have spoken to the Cavs about a Kevin Love trade, but no one appears willing to pull the trigger. Those linked to Love, at least from an exploratory standpoint, include the Dallas Mavericks, Sacramento Kings and Trail Blazers. One source told FortyEightMinutes the Charlotte Hornets also had Love on their radar, but that interest has since dissipated.
- Meanwhile, nobody on the Cavs is drawing as much interest as Larry Nance Jr., but sources said it is highly unlikely that the Cavs would move the versatile forward and native of nearby Akron. It would take a colossal offer, sources said, for the Cavs to even consider a Nance deal.
- Small forwards Cedi Osman and Taurean Prince have also been made available, and Osman is generating some interest. Right now, though, there is no deal that the Cavs like. The Rockets are believed to have an interest in both players, with the Denver Nuggets linked to Osman.
