KEY POINTS
- The Lakers officially signed Andre Drummond
- Drummond was rumored to have had issues with commitment after the Cavs replaced him with Jarrett Allen
- Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff had previously addressed Drummond and Allen's situation
The Los Angeles Lakers might have to be cautious with their latest addition to the team.
After being sidelined in Cleveland for a couple of weeks, Andre Drummond finally completed his move to Los Angeles.
The Lakers have officially acquired Drummond to join LeBron James and Anthony Davis in the quest to defend their NBA title, the Lakers announced Sunday.
It can be recalled that the two-time All-Star center has been benched by the Cleveland Cavaliers since Feb. 12 to retain his market value following the arrival of Jarrett Allen, whom the Cavs have chosen to be their primary big man, CBS Sports reported.
With Drummond now with the Lakers, an earlier report suggests that the entire Lakers organization should not, in any way, create a scenario that would resemble that of Cleveland’s when the team signed Allen.
Apparently, Drummond “felt unwanted” when Allen was appointed to take his role. Hence, the 10-year NBA veteran refused to be at his best anymore which eventually became a predicament for the Cavs, Cleveland.com reported, citing unnamed sources.
International Business Times could not independently verify this information.
“[J.B.] Bickerstaff [Cavs head coach] had to speak with [Andre] Drummond a few times about his commitment at both ends of the floor following Jarrett Allen’s arrival in January. That’s when things started to turn. Drummond, who played well early in the season, suddenly felt unwanted, became upset and let those emotions impact his performance, making it tough for the Cavs to view him as helpful anymore,” the article wrote.
Bickerstaff, on the other hand, downplayed the rumored fractious relationship between him, Allen and Drummond.
According to Bickerstaff, Drummond has maintained his professionalism and remained friends with his teammates amid all the issues surrounding Allen as his replacement.
“[Drummond] He’s been a great teammate in the entirety of his time here in Cleveland,” Bickerstaff said last month. “He’s got great relationships with his teammates, from top down. And he’s supportive of those guys. He is a really good person. I don’t expect that to change. Difficult? Yes. I don’t want to deny that. It’s not easy, I’m sure. But he has been great with his teammates and engaging with his teammates as well.”
“They are class acts, both of them,” the coach added. “They were supportive of one another. We never had any friction, any issue between the two of them.”
Andre Drummond #3 of the Cleveland Cavaliers shoots over LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the first quarter at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on January 25, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio. Photo: Jason Miller/Getty Images
