Celtics pursuing Andre Drummond, expect him to land with Lakers

Celtics

Celtics pursuing Andre Drummond, expect him to land with Lakers

The Boston Celtics are looking to make an upgrade on the buyout market. There are some strong pieces out there, but there’s no guarantee that the C’s will be able to land one.

Boston was expected to have an interest in LaMarcus Aldridge, but he signed with the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday. That said, missing out on Aldridge wasn’t a huge deal because the C’s seem to be very much in the Andre Drummond sweepstakes.

However, according to Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald, the Celtics are expecting their pursuit of Drummond to fall short, as they believe he will be signing with the Los Angeles Lakers.

And ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski confirmed that the Lakers had emerged as the frontrunner for Drummond’s services.

The Lakers were always seen as a big threat on the big-man market. The team has had a hole in the middle all season, as Marc Gasol and Montrezl Harrell haven’t been able to lock down the spot.

Adding a big, physical, presence like Drummond — who is averaging 17.5 points and 13.5 boards per game — could help the Lakers defense and give Anthony Davis a physical running mate when he returns from injury.

Speaking of injuries, that could play a role in Drummond’s decision as well. The Lakers are banged-up right now and are without Davis and LeBron James, so they have some minutes available. It’s possible that Drummond could be in line for a lot of minutes and touches as an interior scorer.

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Meanwhile, in Boston, Drummond would have to share minutes with the rapidly improving Robert Williams and veteran center Tristan Thompson. That may make the Lakers gig look safer to Drummond, especially if there’s a chance for him to emerge as a starter.

The C’s still have a chance to make a push for Drummond, but if he joins the Lakers, it would be understandable. If that happens, the C’s will have to look at the other potential buyout candidates they could target on the open market.