Before NBA free agency began, many people expected Chicago Bulls big man Andre Drummond to sign with the Dallas Mavericks had he opted out of his $3 million player option to become an unrestricted free agent. However, Drummond ended up opting in, but that doesn't necessarily mean he can't find his way to Dallas via trade in the near future.
On Wednesday, the eve of the NBA's restricted free-agency period, the Mavs pulled off a three-team trade with the Boston Celtics that netted them 3-and-D forward Grant Williams. After that, The Athletic's Shams Charania reported that the Mavs plan to sign Portland Trail Blazers defensive-minded wing Matisse Thybulle to a three-year, $33 million offer sheet. ... but let's do some minor salary-cap math here.
That contract equals $11 million per year, and the Mavs can't give out any more than about $9 million per year if they want to avoid being hard-capped. So how could the Mavs open up another $2 million or so to avoid this issue? Well, one idea could be trading JaVale McGee's $5.7 million contract and a second-round pick acquired in the Williams three-team trade for Drummond's $3.3 million contract he opted into.
Now, in theory, the Mavs could still achieve that cap flexibility by simply waiving and stretching McGee's contract, but why would they do that if they could avoid being hard-capped while also adding a player they were linked to ahead of free agency who just so happens to address one of their biggest needs – rebounding.
In 67 games for the Bulls, Drummond averaged 6.0 points and 6.6 rebounds while shooting 60.6 percent in just 12.7 minutes per game. He is a very limited offensive player, and quite honestly, his defense has left a lot to be desired at times too, but one thing is for sure: Drummond is going to gobble up rebounds when he's on the floor. For a team that ranked dead last in rebounding last season, dumping McGee and adding Drummond would be a welcomed sight in Dallas.
There are many scenarios out there where the Mavs could accomplish similar cap flexibility, but this particular one makes a lot of sense based on Dallas' prior interest in Drummond and current interest in salary-dumping McGee. Stay tuned to DallasBasketball.com as things continue to heat up in the next 24 hours.
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