Toronto Raptors must be weary of paying Andre Drummond in offseason

The Toronto Raptors are still in the process of looking for a new starting center, and that has only forced the rumors surrounding Andre Drummond to get an ever-so-slight second wind, especially considering that there rumors that Toronto was in on the former Cleveland Cavaliers center during buyout talks.

Drummond has led the league in rebounding several times over, and he has been able to hang onto a starting spot with Cleveland and the Detroit Pistons as a result, but his performance with the Los Angeles Lakers showed that he is a very vulnerable player that can be attacked on both ends of the floor.

Drummond might have averaged a double-double once again after joining the Lakers following his buyout, but he received inconsistent playing time, and the Suns were able to torch him in the postseason.

The Raptors may be better off if they eschew giving Drummond, who is slowly becoming a dinosaur in the modern NBA due to his playing style, a multi-year deal in free agency. He’s going to want a hefty contract, and while his raw box score numbers look enticing, he may not be what the Raptors are looking for in a center.

Andre Drummond might not be a fit with the Toronto Raptors.

Marc Gasol’s box score numbers in Toronto weren’t amazing, but he provided the on-ball defense, passing out of the post, and spot-up shooting that made the offense hum. Drummond, conversely, is a black hole that doesn’t have a ton of offensive value once he leaves the paint.

Sure, Drummond is a solid rim protector, but he has what I am calling “Rudy Gobert Syndrome.” Those afflicted with RGS can protect the rim very well, but are liabilities when smaller lineups force them out of the paint. Hassan Whiteside suffers from this as well. Even a good defensive team like the Lakers needed to account for his struggles in that area.

Not only can the Raptors still potentially draft USC’s Evan Mobley in the coming weeks, but they could opt for a much cheaper option in Khem Birch. The native Canadian has shown he can expand his offensive game, albeit incrementally, while protecting the rim. Why pay a premium price for someone like Drummond, who disappointed in Los Angeles?

Drummond is a player from a bygone age when big men ruled the world. He has some value, as his rebounding is still as elite as it gets, but his finishing ability and skills on defense are slightly overstated, and that shouldn’t seduce the Raptors into paying an elevated fee for his services.