Andre Drummond is a Detroit Piston no more, as the organization opted to trade the 26-year old center to the Cleveland Cavaliers just moments before the 3pm trade deadline. We've heard that the Pistons were open to moving Drummond for weeks now, but it appears that the two-time All Star was completely blindsided by today's events.
Immediately after the deal was confirmed, Drummond offered the following thoughts on twitter:
"If there’s one thing I learned about the NBA, there’s no friends or loyalty. I’ve given my heart and soul to the Pistons , and to be have this happen with no heads up makes me realize even more that this is just a business! I love you Detroit... you will always have a special place in my heart! But on to the next @cavs hope your ready! Let’s finish the year off the right way."
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According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Drummond was expected to turn down his $28M player option after this season, but it seems like Detroit didn't even want to risk the chance that he'd be on their books for another year. As a result, they flipped him to Cleveland in exchange for Brandon Knight, John Henson and a future second-round pick.
The Pistons, who drafted Drummond ninth overall out of UConn in the 2012 NBA Draft, currently rank 10th in the Eastern Conference with a record of 19-34. The eighth-year center is averaging 17.8 points, 15.8 rebounds and 2 steals per game.