NBA Trade Rumors: Mavericks Not Rushing To Acquire Cavs’ Outbound All-Star Center

KEY POINTS

The Mavericks are not rushing to get Andre Drummond, a report says
The Mavs may find it difficult to land Drummond if Cleveland buys out the All-Star center
The Mavs continue to struggle but Rick Carlisle is not hitting the panic button

Andre Drummond is expected to move to a new NBA team soon. No club has budged, but that hardly comes as a surprise, with most interested clubs preferring to wait for a buyout from the Cleveland Cavaliers.

One team that has been linked to the 6-foot-10 center is the Dallas Mavericks. One can imagine just how a trio comprising Drummond, Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis would look. It would address a void in the middle, but head coach Rick Carlisle prefers to cross the bridge when he gets there.

Carlisle feels that if Drummond was meant to join the Mavs, it will happen. However, he did not discount the possibility of seeing top management making a push for the All-Star Center, Callie Caplan of Dallas News. reported.

"You know Mark and Donnie. These guys are gunslingers. They're riverboat gamblers, and they're ready to talk about anything that would get the team better," Carlisle stated, per Caplan.

On @1053thefan just now, Rick Carlisle said he doesn't see a big man/rebounder as a pressing trade-deadline pursuit, but "You know Mark and Donnie. These guys are gunslingers. They're riverboat gamblers, and they're ready to talk about anything that would get the team better."
— Callie Caplan (@CallieCaplan) February 19, 2021

But any move for Drummond may have to wait until after the March 25 NBA trade deadline. Cleveland apparently wants to see first if they can salvage anything before that date. If nothing comes up, the plausible alternative is for them to buy out Drummond – something that would be music to the ears of multiple teams.

Drummond carries a hefty $28 million contract, of which most teams are wary. The Mavs would have to give up some players to acquire the 9th overall pick of the 2012 NBA Draft.

The Mavericks have been struggling this season, with Doncic carrying much of the load. They are 13-15 in the Western Conference and currently in the 10th spot. This is another reason why pundits feel that Carlisle and company should consider leveling up with Drummond.

Given that there is no sense of urgency to acquire Drummond, the chances of Dallas signing him after a buyout will not be easy. There are multiple NBA teams interested in getting him. To be precise, there are eight to 10 teams keeping tabs on the Drummond situation, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com reported.

For now, Drummond will have to watch from the sidelines before playing NBA ball again. The move has drawn criticism, with some calling it unfair. But from the start of the 2020-21 season, most were already left with the impression that the 6-foot-10 center would be leaving Cleveland, and the clamor just got louder when new contract talks never took place.