Don’t expect center Andre Drummond to adapt to the Knicks soon.
Despite a report in the Los Angeles Times that the Lakers, Celtics and Knicks are the top three candidates to sign Drummond in the buyout market, the Knicks are against beating the other two clubs in an attempt to save space on its lid.
Anything can happen to Drummond this summer in free agency, but Knicks’ decision-makers, after going back and forth for weeks, rely on a big play with the former Cavalier, according to sources in the Knicks. NBA.
The Celtics met with Drummond on Friday and could be the favorites of the former Connecticut star and Mount Vernon native.
Knicks Brass has seen a lot of films at Drummond in recent weeks analyzing whether it would help Julius Randle well and it would be worth putting Mitchell Robinson on the bench.
The Knicks believe Drummond will want to start, but the Knicks have the vision to close out the season with young Robinson blocking the shots in the starting lineup. Center Nerlens Noel has been immensely off the bench and has been strong in an opening role when Robinson missed 15 games after surgery on a fractured right hand.
The Knicks are still in the buying market. Jeff Teague, who was Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau’s technical guard in Minnesota, as well as small forward Otto Porter and center Gordon Dieng, are expected to be Knicks targets, an NBA source said.
Drummond is a fantastic rebound, but he is not considered an elite defender or defender. Thibodeau is very big in the defensive centers, so he is in love with Noel and Robinson.
The Knicks have $ 15 million of maximum space and could easily outperform Boston, the Lakers and the Clippers. But they could also use that $ 15 million of space a night of draft to easily make an operation while almost every other team would exceed the limit.
The performance of third-string center Taj Gibson in the Wizards victory Thursday could have sealed the deal for the Knicks to lose some interest in Drummond. Gibson took seven offensive rebounds, had two blocks and scored 10 points in the return leg, and Thibodeau was raving with him after the game.