It has been confirmed that the Boston Celtics were a major player in the Andre Drummond sweepstakes. The rebounding champ went to the Lakers.
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Andre Drummond was supposed to be one of the biggest players seeking a midseason trade. With many playoff teams in need of a dominant, physical big man, the 27-year-old was a top priority for several GMs.
As it turns out, the undersized Boston Celtics were one of the teams pursuing his signature. It seems that they made a ton of headway before LeBron’s superior championship credentials won out.
A 27-year-old rebounding champion isn’t your average ring-chaser, so you might argue he took the easy way out. But the fact remains that there’s nothing better for your NBA career than winning a championship – especially when you want the bag.
Jared Weiss reveals that Andre Drummond was pretty close to signing with the Boston Celtics
There are a multitude of reasons why a player in Drummond’s situation might prefer Beantown. The Celtics only have one rotation-level big man in Robert Williams at the moment.
They traded Daniel Theis to dodge the luxury tax. Combined with Tristan Thompson’s terrible offensive play and marginal defensive efforts, Drummond could have taken all of his minutes. However, Drummond chose to go the ring-chasing route halfway into his career.
“The Celtics were considered the favorites to land Drummond off and on Friday and Saturday before he chose LA last night, per league sources. Ultimately, he could not pass on the opportunity to start for a proven contender & be an immediate focal point as LeBron & AD remain out.”
The Celtics were considered the favorites to land Drummond off and on Friday and Saturday before he chose LA last night, per league sources. Ultimately, he could not pass on the opportunity to start for a proven contender & be an immediate focal point as LeBron & AD remain out.
— Jared Weiss (@JaredWeissNBA) March 28, 2021
The Lakers are currently without LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Neither is expected back for at least 2 weeks, so this gives Drummond enough time to bed in.