Andre Drummond is not going to the Atlanta Hawks after all. The two-time NBA All-Star center for the Detroit Pistons was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers at the NBA's trade deadline on Thursday in a stunning development after Drummond was linked to the Hawks and New York Knicks.
In exchange for Drummond the Cavs are sending point guard Brandon Knight, center John Henson, and a second-round pick.
According to Yahoo Sports' Vincent Goodwill, Detroit's trade talks with the Hawks surrounding Drummond broke down when the Hawks and the center couldn't agree on a contract extension.
There was a sense Drummond and Atlanta couldn’t come to an agreement on an extension, hence why talks broke down. His $28.7 million is a big reason why the market was tepid
— Vincent Goodwill (@VinceGoodwill) February 6, 2020
Drummond, 26, has a $28 million player option to exercise in the offseason for the 2020-21 season, and it's expected the longtime Pistons center will decline his option and enter free agency in 2020. Instead of becoming a free agent, Drummond could have agreed to an extension with the Hawks, helping facilitate the trade, per Goodwill.
Instead the Hawks agreed to a convoluted, four-team, 12-player trade the other day, landing Houston Rockets center Clint Capela. The Hawks had to give up veteran wing Evan Turner and a first-round pick via the Brooklyn Nets in the deal to get a bona fide stud center in Capela, who is signed for the next three years.
Drummond will now toil in Cleveland as the former Pistons center sets a course for free agency in 2020—unless he decides to exercise his player option and see his market shrinking.
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