CLEVELAND — Andre Drummond wasn’t part of the Cavaliers’ future plans. He’s not part of current ones, either.

The two-time All-Star center will be inactive for upcoming games as the Cavs, who are struggling badly after a solid start, pursue a trade for him, a person familiar with the team’s intentions told The Associated Press on Monday.

Drummond sat out Sunday night’s game – the team called it “rest” – against the Los Angeles Clippers and will continue to stay on the sideline, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the Cavs have not publicly commented on Drummond’s situation.

There is “nothing imminent” on the trade front, the person added. The deadline is March 25. ESPN.com was first to report Drummond’s status.

The Cavs moved center Jarrett Allen into Drummond’s starting spot on Sunday, and the team intends to build around the 22-year-old Allen, who was acquired along with forward Taurean Prince from Brooklyn in a trade last month.

As the Cavs lost their seventh straight game Sunday, Drummond sat on Cleveland’s bench wearing a sweatshirt that had “Farewell” written on the front. The Cavs would like to acquire future assets for Drummond, who is in the final year of a contract that will pay him $28.7 million this season.

Advertisement

After a surprising start under Coach J.B. Bickerstaff, the Cavs have plummeted in the standings. They’ve lost 11 of 13 going into Monday’s game against Golden State.

Cleveland was beaten 128-111 by the Clippers, who had stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George out with injuries.

Although he’s known his days with Cleveland were likely numbered, Drummond has continued to encourage his teammates. But after he played only 17 minutes on Friday in Portland and 16 in a previous loss at Denver, it became clear the Cavs were moving forward with giving Allen the majority of playing time.

Drummond is only 27 and could be an enticing player for any team looking for a big man. He came to Cleveland last season from the Pistons, who were eager to unload the 7-footer and his massive contract to speed their rebuild.

Drummond is averaging 17.5 points and 13.5 rebounds in 25 starts.

Bickerstaff experimented with Drummond and Allen playing together, but it hasn’t worked, with the Cavs consistently outscored on the perimeter. It hasn’t helped that five-time All-Star Kevin Love has played in only two games because of a calf strain. Love has been progressing in rehab and could return soon.

Advertisement

ALL-STAR WEEKEND: Players taking part in All-Star weekend in Atlanta will largely have to remain in their hotels when not at the arena, the league told teams on Monday, and all players and coaches – whether part of All-Star events or not – will have to continue getting tested daily for COVID-19.

The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association agreed on those rules, the league said in the memo laying out the health and safety protocols that will apply during the break. The league plans to announce starters for the All-Star Game on Thursday, and the reserves on Feb. 23.

The first half of the season ends March 4, and All-Star event participants arrive in Atlanta on March 6. The game and skills contests are March 7 and – for some teams – games will resume March 10, or a day earlier than initially planned. Other teams will resume play on March 11 and March 12.

All-Star participants will be traveling to Atlanta by private planes or cars, facilitated by the NBA, and must arrive by 7 p.m. on March 6. They’ll be tested that night and again on game-day morning.

Each player can bring up to four guests, examples of which include family members, longtime close friends, agents and child-care providers. In some cases, players may be permitted to bring up to six guests, provided the additional names on their list are their children. They will not be permitted to exceed the list of four for additional friends or agents.

SPURS-PISTONS POSTPONED: Tuesday’s game between San Antonio Spurs and Detroit Pistons has been postponed, marking the second time this month that the NBA has called off a game because of coronavirus-related issues.

Advertisement

The NBA made the announcement Monday, saying the Spurs have someone who tested positive and that, combined with contact tracing, meant they would not have the league minimum of eight players available to begin a game.

The NBA does not announce the names of players who test positive; some have revealed positive tests on their own. The Spurs were without guard Quinndary Weatherspoon for their game Sunday against Charlotte because of the league’s COVID-19 protocols; Weatherspoon had played 10 minutes on Friday in Atlanta, then was flagged by the protocols over the weekend.

Being ruled out because of the protocols can suggest any number of things, including a positive test, a suspected positive test or contact-tracing data showing that a player may have been exposed to a person with COVID-19.

PISTONS: Detroit plans to keep Blake Griffin out of the lineup while he and the organization work out a decision on his future, a sign the star forward’s days with the team could be numbered.

“After extensive conversation with Blake’s representatives, it has been determined that we will begin working to facilitate a resolution regarding his future with the team that maximizes the interests of both parties,” Pistons General Manager Troy Weaver said in a statement Monday. “We respect all the effort Blake has put forth in Detroit and his career and will work to achieve a positive outcome for all involved.”

Griffin, who turns 32 next month, came to Detroit in a trade during the 2017-18 season, but the Pistons have made just one postseason appearance with him and have spent much of the last year overhauling their roster in earnest. Detroit is 8-19 this season, and Griffin has already missed seven games. If he is traded or leaves via a buyout, it could give the popular veteran a chance to play more meaningful games than what Detroit can offer at this stage.

Advertisement

LAKERS: Forward Anthony Davis’ injured Achilles tendon is not ruptured, and he will be reevaluated when the Los Angeles Lakers return from their road trip.

The defending NBA champions made the announcement Monday after an MRI exam for Davis, who is out indefinitely.

The All-NBA first-teamer left the Lakers’ game at Denver in the second quarter Sunday night with an apparent aggravation of the tendonosis that has bothered his right heel for at least two weeks. The seven-time All-Star had already missed five games this season with various minor injuries.

The Lakers (21-7) have nine games left before the All-Star break, starting Tuesday at Minnesota. Sitting in second place in the Western Conference, they are likely to be cautious with their superstar big man with an eye on keeping him healthy for the stretch run.

MONDAY’S GAMES

WIZARDS 131, ROCKETS 119: Bradley Beal scored 37 points in an entertaining duel with ex-teammate John Wall, and the Wizards beat the undermanned Houston in Wall’s return to Washington.

Wall, traded in December for Russell Westbrook and a first-round pick, had season highs of 29 points and 11 assists for the Rockets, who were missing leading scorer Eric Gordon along with Victor Oladipo, Christian Wood and P.J. Tucker. Houston dropped its sixth straight.

Westbrook had 16 points, 15 assists and 13 rebounds for his sixth triple-double of the season – his first in a Wizards win – and 152nd of his career. But it was a largely inefficient performance from the former MVP, who shot 8 of 22 overall, 0 of 3 from 3-point range and airballed a 20-foot jumper. Westbrook played on back-to-back days for the first time this season.

Davis Bertans added 18 points on 5-of-6 3-point shooting for Washington, which won consecutive games for the first time this season.

Related Headlines


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.