NBA Trade Deadline 2020: The 20 best players available

3. Andre Drummond — C, Detroit Pistons — Salary of $27,093,018

Drummond is a dramatically underrated player. He’s not a star, but he can play one on TV in the right situation. Because he plays for the perennially mediocre Detroit Pistons, he can be forgotten within the landscape of the league at large. And there are weaknesses to his game. He doesn’t have elite efficiency, especially for a center. His energy levels can wane. He doesn’t have a historical record of making his team’s defense better when he’s on the floor. But his skills are undeniable.

Drummond is a behemoth. He’s one of the best rebounders in the history of the NBA, and he could solve a team’s rebounding woes alone. Teams like the Toronto Raptors, Boston Celtics, and Los Angeles Clippers have defensive rebounding weaknesses that can be exploited. An extra chance on the glass is an unsexy way to win. But Drummond alone collects almost a third of opponents’ misses, tops in the league. He deletes an opponents’ offensive rebounding strategy. On the other end, he’s one of the league’s best offensive rebounders.

There’s more to Drummond than a high rebound rate. He is both one of the best shot-blockers and ball-stealers in the league, meaning he jump-starts a team’s transition game, even if he’s not the one running on the fast-break. Defensively, the Pistons hold opponents to 6.0 fewer points per 100 possessions when Drummond is on the floor. He is a plus-passer, especially from the elbows, even if that skill has gone dormant this year. He is a solid finisher on the lob or the roll, even if he can’t create for himself. If he joins a team that can field four plus-shooters around him, his advanced stats will skyrocket. He’s a contextual player, and given the right context, he would be fantastic. Detroit is not currently the right context, and yet he’s still putting up huge numbers.

Drummond has weaknesses, but his strengths are such that he could put a team in need over the top. There are plenty of contenders who need a player like Drummond. On the right team, he would be more valuable than virtually any other player. If either the Celtics or Clippers acquire this guy, that would be a huge step forward towards the championship.