The Hawks have been hungry for a center all year long, and around Christmas time, they started talks with the Detroit Pistons regarding Andre Drummond. Those died weeks before the trade deadline, and ultimately Atlanta acquired Clint Capela, who they now have under contract for three more seasons. Yesterday, Drummond was dealt to the Cleveland Cavaliers for a minimal return.
We now know why the Drummond talks fell through. He is expected to opt-out of his player option at the end of the season, and many reported that he would ask for too much in free agency. Well it seems that Travis Schlenk was smart enough to make sure Drummond would agree to an extension before making any deal, and the numbers simply did not line up for either side, per Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo! Sports:
There was a sense Drummond and Atlanta couldn’t come to an agreement on an extension, hence why talks broke down. His $28.7 million is a big reason why the market was tepid
— Vincent Goodwill (@VinceGoodwill) February 6, 2020
It will be fascinating to see how much more Drummond can fetch in free agency than what the Hawks will pay Capela. The Nets’ pick likely would have been the asset that landed each player, and while Drummond’s market seems to be shrinking, Capela is had at a value over the next three seasons. Drummond may be the superior player, but Capela is still exactly what the team was looking for. One thing is for sure: if Drummond thinks he is getting a max contract, he is in for a rude awakening.
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