It appears that the Cleveland Cavaliers are getting to close to dealing veteran center Andre Drummond, and have opted to not play Drummond as trade talks continue, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Brian Windhorst.
The Cavs plan to make Jarrett Allen their franchise starting center long-term, and they believe that those plans create an unfair situation for Drummond, who would see his minutes drop as the team shifts focus to building around Allen.
Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman discussed the move with Drummond and his agent, Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports, ultimately deciding that Drummond would remain with the team, but no longer be active for games as the Cavs attempt to workout a trade.
At this point, there are no serious ongoing discussions with any team, but the Cavs are presently gauging the trade market.
Drummond is playing on a $28.7 million expiring contract which could create a financial hurdle in any deal.
During the season, Drummond has averaged 17.5 points and 13.5 rebounds for the Cavaliers.
