Lakers closing in as front-runners to sign Andre Drummond

The Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly viewed as the front-runners to land sign former Cleveland Cavaliers center Andre Drummond.

Back in February, the Cleveland Cavaliers held out center Andre Drummond with the hope they could trade him for a decent return. The NBA trade deadline passed on Thursday, and Drummond was not dealt. Instead, he was bought out of his contract by the team. Now a free agent, and after the LaMarcus Aldridge signing by the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday, we have a new favorite for Drummond’s services.

According to ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski, the Los Angeles Lakers have emerged as the “strong front-runners” to sign Drummond. Wojnarowski notes that the Lakers have been heavily recruiting Drummond and that he stands to slide in as the team’s starting center upon arrival.

Lakers emerge as front-runners to sign Andre Drummond

After being acquired from the Detroit Pistons, Drummond’s stint in Cleveland lasted over one year. The writing was officially on the wall following the Cavaliers’ involvement in the James Harden trade, during which time they acquired center Jarrett Allen. The team pivoted to make him the new starter and opted to bench Drummond in February until the two sides could reach an agreement on either a trade or a buyout.

Through 25 games this season, Drummond averaged 17.5 points, 13.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.2 blocks per game, all the while shooting 47.4 percent from the field.

The Lakers are a team in desperation as of this writing. Anthony Davis is out indefinitely due to right leg injuries and LeBron James is sidelined for at least the next three weeks after suffering a high right ankle sprain. Since James has gone down with injury, the Lakers have lost four of their last five games.

Even before the injuries, the Lakers were in need of a quality center, especially with Marc Gasol not panning out the way the team had expected when signing him. If the Lakers do finalize a deal with Drummond, they are getting an immediate difference-maker to pair alongside James and Davis once they are both healthy.