With the trade deadline coming in just over a week, the rumor mill has already started swirling for the Philadelphia 76ers. However, the noise for them in the market has been pretty baffling, as reports now say that they are willing to ship veteran big man Andre Drummond away to another team. Even from a preliminary view, that simply does not make sense for the squad.
Drummond had a pretty lackadaisical campaign last season for the 76ers, but that has been far from the case this time around. Now healthier, the former All-Star has been more than serviceable for the team, capably stepping in for Joel Embiid in the times where he is sidelined due to injury or rest. That makes it strange that the front office has become so open to the thought of letting him go.
As the veteran is on an expiring deal, there is no doubt that the will garner a lot of interest on the trade market. Naturally, it is implied that the 76ers will not be asking the world from prospective buyers. It has never been about the return package, though. That this team is willing to dangle away their best rebounder is basically a step forward into actual, collective implosion.
The 76ers being willing to trade Andre Drummond makes absolutely zero sense
A coupe of things stand out as two of the biggest needs for this 76ers team — rebounding and depth at the center position. What does Drummond provide? Those two things in particular. As such (and to cut to the chase), this begs the question — what is the front office even thinking with this willing stance of theirs to deal one of the best quality backup big men in the league?
Corraling just 43.8 boards per game, the 76ers are in the bottom-half of the league when it comes to securing rebounds, ranking 17th. To make matters worse, they are 24th among all 30 teams in finishing possessions and securing defensive boards. This is already plenty enough of a reason to hold onto Drummond.
In addition, while Embiid is looking healthier than he has in two years, the 76ers would be wise to keep on fortifying their cushion behind the superstar. Sure, his minutes have gone up, but with the playoff picture starting to get more heated, the team will need to manage his load more smartly moving forward. Having an experienced option like Drummond helps a ton in that regard.
There is literally no incentive for the 76ers to just ship him away, unless they value a singular second-round pick that much. He is on an expiring deal anyway, so the only rational option for the front office is to keep him in the fold barring any abrupt offer which ordinary prudence could not refuse.