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Knicks

Seeing as how we might have more guys on 10-day contracts&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/Baxter/status/1473349522533224450" target="_blank" rel="noopener">than we have healthy players</a>&nbsp;by the New Year, this might become a recurring bit.&nbsp;
This sucks, it all sucks, but one of the&nbsp;only&nbsp;decent things to spring from here are the opportunities being afforded to guys who might not have found themselves in the NBA otherwise. For the purposes of this adventure, we&rsquo;ll address those who might not have been&nbsp;back&nbsp;in the league if not for these hardship exceptions.&nbsp;
A hardship exception is a temporary roster spot afforded to a team typically dealing with an abnormal amount of injuries. With COVID, that obviously means more hardship (definitely&nbsp;more hardship), and thus, more opportunities. Some guys have been working hard to get back, so we&rsquo;ll focus on them today.&nbsp;
James Ennis, Brooklyn Nets&nbsp;
The Lakers&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/james-ennis-is-publicly-lobbying-for-a-spot-on-the-lakers-and-theyre-running-out-of-excuses-not-to-sign-him/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">didn&rsquo;t sign James Ennis when he asked them to</a>, so he surprisingly had to&nbsp;settle for a 10-day with the Nets.&nbsp;
Just last season, Ennis was an NBA starter, logging 41 appearances with the Orlando Magic and opening 37. He netted a career-high 8.4 points and 4.0 rebounds per game with 47/43/81 shooting splits. As a 6-foot-6 wing who could hit threes, he might just get thrown into the 3-and-D wing pile. But, you know what, <a href="https://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/orlando-magic/os-sp-orlando-magic-james-ennis-season-recap-20210602-paqya6i52vhvfh7g62mblrrf54-story.html">he kinda is</a>. His advanced metrics weren&rsquo;t&nbsp;awesome&nbsp;last season, but when you&rsquo;re on a 21-51 team, yours will suck, too.&nbsp;
Ennis was on the high end of available midseason free agents at the time of his signing and is still just 31 years old until next July.&nbsp;
In the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6X1Fw2yRXE">second hour of our Knicks vs. Warriors stream last week</a>, Alex Kennedy, Spencer Davies, and I co-ranted about the league&rsquo;s lack of valuing veterans, so a toast to you, Mr. Ennis. I&rsquo;ll be honest, though. As a New Yorker,&nbsp;this probably isn&rsquo;t the best time to come here, James. But good luck on holding down your well-deserved spot otherwise.&nbsp;
If he doesn&rsquo;t stick in Brooklyn &ndash; and he conceivably&nbsp;could&nbsp;&ndash; expect him to land elsewhere so long as he can shoot well from three, board some, and maintain good health.&nbsp;
Lance Stephenson, Atlanta Hawks
It&rsquo;s air guitar time, homie.&nbsp;
For the first time since the 2018-19 season, Lance Stephenson is back in the league, signing a 10-day with the Atlanta Hawks.&nbsp;
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Lance Stephenson is back in the NBA ... he'll be getting a 10-day hardship deal with the Hawks, league sources say. In short order <a href="https://twitter.com/jasonterry31?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jasonterry31</a>-coached <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAGrandRapids?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NBAGrandRapids</a> sends <a href="https://twitter.com/isaiahthomas?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@isaiahthomas</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/NStauskas11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NStauskas11</a> and now <a href="https://twitter.com/StephensonLance?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@StephensonLance</a> all back to the league. <a href="https://t.co/C0qLIGsgoG">https://t.co/C0qLIGsgoG</a>
&mdash; Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSteinLine/status/1473329499387297793?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2021</a>
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The New York City legend and Brooklyn native averaged 19.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 4.1 assists on 47/31/69 shooting splits with the Grand Rapids Gold in the G League. You&rsquo;d probably want better three-point and free-throw shooting, but he&rsquo;s roughly at his career percentages on those fronts.&nbsp;
You probably also need to brush up on your Stephenson film; we ain&rsquo;t here for threes. We want crossovers into reckless mid-range jumpers that go in and provoke an air guitar celebration. We want spin moves that result in improbable and-one finishes at the rim, complete with some random gyration many of you would tip-toe around describing over FCC airwaves. And ultimately, we&rsquo;re looking for any semblance of satisfaction we could have in this climate, so if Stephenson could provide that on a decimated Hawks team, so be it.&nbsp;
In partial seriousness, though, he&rsquo;s still just 31. He can plug in some offensive holes the Hawks will have for 15-20 minutes a contest if he needs, for the time being. If he plays well, he should be back in the league somewhere. His Lakers season wasn&rsquo;t outcast-worthy.&nbsp;
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Damyean Dotson, New York Knicks
<a href="https://twitter.com/wholeteamDot">Whole Team!</a>
Not only does this period mean comeback stories for familiar names, but it kicks in the door for clubs to bring home some players who have bounced around elsewhere. Damyean Dotson is back in New York, and while he won&rsquo;t heal all of their wounds, he could help mask some in his temporary stay. It will make sense to make this a permanent play, though, if he thrives in his role.&nbsp;
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Knicks announce that they&rsquo;ve signed Damyean Dotson and Matt Mooney to 10-day contracts: <a href="https://t.co/gdS6aWwi8Z">pic.twitter.com/gdS6aWwi8Z</a>
&mdash; Ian Begley (@IanBegley) <a href="https://twitter.com/IanBegley/status/1473332938645422097?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2021</a>
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Dotson was a second-round pick in 2017 and logged 165 appearances with the Knicks until 2020. He netted 7.8 points per game on 42/35/71 shooting splits and wasn&rsquo;t a defensive stopper, but was respectable on that end of the floor considering what else they had. It&rsquo;s worth noting that he hit over 36% from three in his last two seasons as a Knick, which included an expanded role (23.5 minutes per game) compared to his rookie season of under 11 minutes per game.&nbsp;
Last season, Dot was a Cleveland Cavalier, averaging 6.7 points through 46 appearances, but only shot 41/29/67 splits in 19.7 minutes per contest. In 12 G League starts with the Austin Spurs at 34.9 minutes per contest, he posted about 12.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game on 47/35/78 shooting splits, showing more well-roundedness than we&rsquo;re accustomed to. Doing that, and hitting threes, could keep him on someone&rsquo;s roster.&nbsp;
Isaiah Thomas, Los Angeles Lakers&nbsp;
Without rehashing&nbsp;all&nbsp;of the turbulent Isaiah Thomas tales, let&rsquo;s focus on these last four weeks or so. It included a two-game stint with Team USA as they began FIBA World Cup qualifiers shortly after Thanksgiving.&nbsp;
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21 points for <a href="https://twitter.com/isaiahthomas?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@isaiahthomas</a> last night, including 4 made threes, none bigger than this dagger. 👀 Team USA defeated Cuba 95-90 to start 2023 World Cup Qualifiers. They face Mexico tonight. 📹: <a href="https://t.co/nNQDfvcF82">https://t.co/nNQDfvcF82</a> (via FIBA) <a href="https://t.co/dhAUAUVHLy">pic.twitter.com/dhAUAUVHLy</a>
&mdash; Bryan Fonseca 🇵🇷 (@BryanFonsecaNY) <a href="https://twitter.com/BryanFonsecaNY/status/1465437069073858560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2021</a>
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It included going&nbsp;off&nbsp;for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/isaiah-thomas-dominates-in-nba-g-league-debut-scoring-42-points" target="_blank" rel="noopener">42 points and eight assists in his G League debut</a> just last week. And it also includes an NBA debut with the shorthanded Lakers, where he netted 19 points on a primetime ESPN game against the Minnesota Timberwolves about 48 hours following the G League explosion.&nbsp;
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Thomas turns 33 in February and is now six seasons removed from being the peak IT we remember. Since then, he&rsquo;s been largely limited due to injuries. That said, he&rsquo;s still a creative scorer who has averaged decent scoring numbers even in his abbreviated roles since being traded from the Boston Celtics. He just hasn&rsquo;t been able to sustain it, or good health, or quality shooting percentages, save for hitting 41 percent of his threes with the Washington Wizards two seasons ago.&nbsp;
For Thomas, it isn&rsquo;t about ability so much as it&rsquo;s about health. If he could score, shoot a reasonable percentage, and maintain good health, he&rsquo;ll find minutes even as people will have questions about his defense. As of this writing, he&rsquo;s played 54 minutes with the Lakers and has recorded 32 points on 44/39/78 shooting splits. That&rsquo;s a lot to maintain, and as they get healthier, they won&rsquo;t need him to, but if he could stay in that area until the Lakers are closer to full strength, they could use the offensive creation from anywhere at this point.&nbsp;
Thomas, for sure, is playing for keeps.&nbsp;

Isaiah Thomas, Lance Stephenson, Damyean Dotson and James Ennis have chances to get back into the NBA.

4 veterans on 10-day contracts who can revitalize their NBA careers

The Knicks have signed Damyean Dotson to a hardship exception.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1472978247357026306?s=20">Shams Charania/The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS: Dotson had been playing on the Austin Spurs in the G League, where he averaged 12.9 points per game and made 35% of his threes.
He last played for the Cavaliers in the 2019-20 season, where he averaged 6.7 points in 19.7 minutes per game.
Dotson spent three prior seasons in New York after being selected 44th by them in the 2017 NBA Draft.

Knicks sign Damyean Dotson to hardship exception

The NBA All-Star break couldn&rsquo;t have come at a worse time for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Following a brutal 10-game losing streak, J.B. Bickerstaff&rsquo;s young bunch had just won four out of five contests, finally finding a rhythm and a consistency the team had been searching for. For the first time all season, the starting lineup was the same for five consecutive games.
Returning from the one-week hiatus, that changed quickly. On the bright side, the Cavs got a vocal leader and top defender back in Larry Nance Jr. after he missed 12 games with a fractured wrist. Kevin Love, who hadn&rsquo;t appeared since the team&rsquo;s second game of the season, returned on a limited basis. Losing bodies is difficult, but adding them back into the mix is a battle in and of itself. So for Cleveland, that acted more as a stopper of continuity.
The Cavs dropped three straight out of the break. Two 82-point efforts and a 98-point night in a loss at Miami meant the offense was having issues, similar to the lengthy slumps we&rsquo;ve seen before in stretches. As has been the case throughout the season, Collin Sexton was relied on as the primary scorer. While his numbers weren&rsquo;t pedestrian by any means, there wasn&rsquo;t nearly enough shot-making outside of his for Cleveland to succeed, as evidenced by a ghastly 39.2% field goal rate and 28.9% collective clip from deep. Once again, there was a lack of practice time and no shootaround while the team was on the road -- the very same issue that plagued them on the West Coast.
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On top of that, over two minute-restricted games, it took only 11 minutes and 42 seconds combined for Love to find himself back on the shelf with an injured calf. He has not played since he felt discomfort in Atlanta. The team was as cautious with the 32-year-old&rsquo;s original recovery process as it could be. Due to his progression and a week-long All-Star break, it seemed to be the right time to reimplement him into the fold. However, with just one practice under his belt before hitting the floor, we soon found out he wasn&rsquo;t past it.
According to a Cavs team source, Love&rsquo;s calf still "has to get back to 100%." With the number of games left on the schedule, Cleveland is committed to ensuring he gets to that point before sending him out on the court again. As for when that will be, we don&rsquo;t have an answer yet.
"It's hard to tell,&rdquo; the team source said. &ldquo;There's days when he feels great, there's workouts when he feels phenomenal, then there'll be soreness the next day and it's like, it sucks. We've gotta keep moving forward...He'll get to have some really meaningful minutes in.
&ldquo;Obviously, we'd love to have him back and see what it's gonna look like with him on the floor and spacing. It's gonna be great for Jarrett Allen, it's gonna be great for our guards (Sexton and Darius Garland); he&rsquo;s gonna give some pressure relief. That's another thing -- those two guards have to create everything for us, and Kevin is pressure relief. You throw the ball into him, and he can create a lot of gravity. It's something we want to see happen, but we realize, let's let this injury take its course...then, we'll see what that looks like.&rdquo;
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Of course, when it rains, it pours. The day after Love exited early in the loss against the Hawks, Twitter detectives noticed that Sexton <a href="https://www.complex.com/sports/collin-sexton-liked-tweet-kevin-love-contract-heist-of-the-century?utm_campaign=sportstw&amp;utm_source=twitter.com&amp;utm_medium=social" target="_blank" rel="noopener">liked a tweet</a> that said the veteran big man &ldquo;stole $120 million&rdquo; from the Cavs, a reference to his contract. Setting the platform abuzz, it spread like wildfire. According to the team source, Sexton doesn&rsquo;t use social media and only has his account managers utilize it for sponsorships or promotions. He didn&rsquo;t know it happened in the first place, and once he was informed, Sexton had his social team unlike the tweet and addressed Love about the situation right away.&nbsp;
&ldquo;That's just not Collin. It's an absolute non-story, but it did happen,&rdquo; the team source said. &ldquo;He said, 'Look, this is a lesson. I'm gonna be way more secure with my stuff and my passwords.&rsquo; That's actually a good lesson for who has access to your stuff, who's checking your stuff. A lot of times, it's very innocent -- business associates' friends, who knows? He'll get better in that space, but it certainly wasn't something that he meant to do or be out there.&rdquo;
But a slip of somebody&rsquo;s finger and another lengthy losing streak didn&rsquo;t stop the Cavs from staying at it. In a four-game homestand, they went 2-2 with wins over the Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors, and suffered defeats at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs and Sacramento Kings. (It should be noted that the Western Conference is the culprit of the majority of the shortcomings this season; Cleveland is 4-15 against those teams). To say that there have been ebbs and flows in this campaign would be selling it short.
Is that not to be expected, though? Take a step back for a moment: the Cavs are starting four players on rookie-scale contracts: Sexton, Garland, Isaac Okoro and Jarrett Allen. Each of those players are 22 years old or younger, and every one of them are considered a crucial piece of Cleveland&rsquo;s established core from this moment on. They&rsquo;ve played 24 games -- 422 minutes of floor time -- together to this point. The core four have spent more moments on the floor in real-time NBA games than they have in practice.&nbsp;
Individually, they have shown their own strides.&nbsp;
Garland is really finding his niche as a primary initiator. Despite Tuesday&rsquo;s outlier, the second-year point guard is averaging 17.4 points and 6.3 assists per game over the last month, and shooting 41.3% from the perimeter in that span. Garland&rsquo;s success has been driven by his ability to change speeds off the dribble and his knack for finding the open man. If a teammate has position in the paint, he&rsquo;ll fire a bullet with an underhand shovel pass. If he draws two with the threat of a floater, he&rsquo;ll toss it up for somebody to throw it down.
Sexton is the most consistent player the Cavs have when it comes to the scoring department. He is <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/traditional/?sort=PTS&amp;dir=-1&amp;CF=GP*GE*35:PTS*GE*24:FG_PCT*GE*47&amp;Season=2020-21&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of 15 players in the NBA</a> who boasts averages of at least 24 points per game on 47% from the field or better. We know he can put the ball in the bucket; it&rsquo;s the secondary playmaking reads he&rsquo;s making that have stood out particularly this month. Knowing he commands the attention of multiple defenders now, he&rsquo;s been looking to spray out or, like Garland, get the ball to his bigs for easier looks inside. Understandably, it&rsquo;s been taxing on him, and that shows on off nights where Cleveland struggles.
Okoro is easily one of the top perimeter defenders that the team has. He&rsquo;s been tasked with guarding the opposition&rsquo;s best players, often All-Star caliber talents, and they&rsquo;ve introduced him to what life is like in the best basketball league in the world. In spite of the ups and downs offensively, he&rsquo;s shown a more aggressive side as of late, unafraid to put it on the floor and making his presence felt as an outlet in transition. Keep in mind that he hit the ground running from the moment he was drafted -- no summer league, a fast-tracked preseason and games coming quickly in a condensed year.
Allen is the newest cornerstone and injection of talent that the Cavs were able to pry away from the Brooklyn Nets. He is a modern big that surprisingly fell into their lap who is able to see things before they happen on both ends of the floor. He&rsquo;s a lob threat, a relentless rebounder, solid screen-setter and a defensive deterrent at the rim. He knows what he does well and sticks to it, although he has teased his jump shot from time to time. Even being the &ldquo;oldest&rdquo; of the core four, Allen is younger than New York Knicks rookie Obi Toppin, and is in his fourth year in the Association.
&ldquo;We're asking a lot of them, but we're also trying to put them in those adverse situations so they can grow because eventually, they have to learn how to win games,&rdquo; the team source said. &ldquo;Certainly that last stretch before the All-Star break, those young guys were winning. They weren't propped up by any vets -- Larry wasn't there, Kevin wasn't there, JaVale McGee helped a little bit -- but it was like, them. Those are the situations we're trying to put them in. You're gonna get a lot of roller-coaster games, and weeks, that way."
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Evaluating these four players, and the team as a whole, is not an easy job when there&rsquo;s been so many moving pieces and parts -- be it through injuries or transactions. You can look at the positives of the moment: those four establishing a relationship, Nance being the glue guy that he is, Dean Wade, Dylan Windler and Lamar Stevens making legitimate cases to be nightly rotational pieces.&nbsp;
The negatives are apparent. Cedi Osman has been struggling mightily and is reportedly available. Taurean Prince hasn't been able to stay on the floor. Damyean Dotson's minutes have been inconsistent. There&rsquo;s only a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-trade-deadline-rumors-houston-rockets-orlando-magic-victor-oladipo-aaron-gordon-evan-fournier-andre-drummond" target="_blank" rel="noopener">day left to find a trade partner (or two) for Andre Drummond</a>. Love&rsquo;s injuries seem to be lingering. The 16-27 record itself isn&rsquo;t pleasing to the naked eye, neither are the offensive ruts, and a lot of that has to do with the defensive adjustments opponents are making.
&ldquo;People are starting to guard us a little different,&rdquo; the team source said. &ldquo;Collin's getting all sorts of different respect, from even back at the Indiana game with the box-and-one. They're jumping the ball and putting two on the ball, so we're trying to figure out how to play that way. I think a lot of the teams are trying to take him out and say, 'Beat me with other guys.' So it's a great challenge, that means they respect him, but we've gotta figure out different ways to score."
We&rsquo;d be remiss to ignore that Cleveland won just 19 games a season ago; they&rsquo;re three away from that mark with plenty of games left to go. According to the team source, the franchise is pleased with how Coach Bickerstaff has developed the young pieces and handled the bad breaks that the Cavs have dealt with.
This team is still in the process of building a team culture and environment. Cleveland&rsquo;s front office is always assessing its players and coaches as the organization, and the organization will continue to assemble parts to add to the foundation in place. Sexton, Garland and Okoro were picked in the last three drafts. They were selected eighth, fifth and fifth, respectively. By now, general manager Koby Altman probably gets the memo that he and the franchise can&rsquo;t bank on lottery luck to turn things around at the drop of a hat.
To this point, with where they&rsquo;ve picked and the players they&rsquo;ve picked, the grade is incomplete. You can easily argue that Sexton has outperformed where he was taken, and Garland is finding his stride. Okoro has 38 professional games under his belt. We won&rsquo;t know what it truly looks like with this small of a sample size, especially considering the fact they&rsquo;re all going to represent the Cavs -- now and in the future.&nbsp;
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Cleveland will keep adding, always looking for more size and athleticism. This upcoming 2021 NBA Draft class is stacked with talent, from G League Ignite standouts such as Jalen Green and Jonathan Kuminga, to college phenoms like Cade Cunningham and Jalen Suggs. It&rsquo;s wishful thinking that the Cavs could land one of these prospects or another young talent to bolster their ever-growing roster, but you can&rsquo;t depend on ping pong balls. Just look at the last three years as an example.
So as the games keep coming -- 29 in 53 days -- the goal is the same as it was when the season started: positive momentum and taking a step forward. And no, it&rsquo;s not always going to be sunshine and rainbows.
&ldquo;We're gonna have some unbelievable runs, and then we're also gonna have some low moments where it's like, we're still very young and figuring it out,&rdquo; the team source said. &ldquo;There'll be peaks and valleys where it's like, 'Wait a second guys, you might not wanna win too much more' vs. 'Damn, they look terrible there in those four games.' It's a delicate balance, but we&rsquo;re pretty happy with where we are in terms of our young talent.&rdquo;
When LeBron James left for Los Angeles, the cupboard was empty. Assets were non-existent, contracts were heavy and youth was at a premium. The one prize Cleveland had was the Nets pick, and that turned into Sexton. From that moment on, over the last two-and-a-half years, the Cavs have refilled that cupboard with young players and draft picks, and they&rsquo;ve still got a ways to go. It&rsquo;s been a methodical, prolonged approach, but the team source says the organization is happy with where it is and the direction it is heading in.
&ldquo;All we can keep doing is keep moving forward at our pace,&rdquo; the team source said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s no shortcuts.&rdquo;

Spencer Davies spoke with a Cavs team source to discuss where the team is at, Kevin Love's injury, Collin Sexton's Twitter mix-up and more.

Cavs riding Core Four into the future, through the good and bad

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Andre Drummond have come to a mutual decision to keep the All-Star center inactive until the team finds a trade for him, league sources confirmed to BasketballNews.com. The news was first reported this morning by <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1361341496461586434" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Athletic</a> and <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30905655/sources-cleveland-cavaliers-play-andre-drummond-try-trade-star-center-deadline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN</a>.
"Nothing is imminent on the trade front, though," the source told BasketballNews.com.
According to the source, a buyout is off the table between the Cavs and Drummond, as Cleveland searches for a landing spot for the 27-year-old big man prior to the NBA trade deadline on March 25.
Per <a href="https://www.cleveland.com/cavs/2021/02/cleveland-cavaliers-to-sit-andre-drummond-while-looking-for-trade.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cleveland.com's Chris Fedor</a>, the situation hasn't been easy on the veteran, who's in the prime of his career. Drummond reportedly didn't want to move on, but the team envisioned a different future after bringing Jarrett Allen into the fold.
The Cavs view Allen as one of their cornerstones moving forward and they are prioritizing his growth and chemistry with his new teammates. Cleveland is set on Allen as the long-term answer at the five, so splitting minutes between he and Drummond wasn't going to benefit either party.
Drummond will still be with the team, and the decision to move forward in this manner was a mutual agreement. Constructing a trade will not be easy, as Drummond makes roughly $28.7 million. The Cavaliers will need to take back at least $23 million in salary in order to execute a deal.
We also have to remember that the Cavaliers acquired Drummond at last season's trade deadline for little-used Brandon Knight and John Henson, plus a future second-round pick. A potential trade involving Drummond likely won't be focused on the haul back, but more about opening more minutes for Allen and getting something in return for the impending free agent.
So as he watches from the sidelines until Cleveland finds him a new home, let's take a look at potential fits and possible deals that could work.
Toronto Raptors
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Cavaliers have engaged in trade talks with the Toronto Raptors about Drummond. It makes sense considering the defensive woes that have plagued the Raptors, who have begun climbing out of the Eastern Conference basement and back into the postseason hunt. Drummond's rim protection and activity on defense this season have been arguably the best of his career to this point, something that's been missing for Nick Nurse and his crew.
To match salaries, Toronto would have to include Norman Powell, Aron Baynes and Patrick McCaw, plus one more player (Matt Thomas, Terence Davis or Paul Watson could work). With the resurgence of Stanley Johnson and the role DeAndre' Bembry has carved out, it's unlikely the Raptors would give them up. Knowing Masai Ujiri and Bobby Webster, it's possible that the Raptors will try to get a third team involved, which could help from a salary-matching standpoint.
We also have to keep in mind that Cleveland would have to get creative with its roster. By waiving Dean Wade prior to his Feb. 24 guarantee date, it would allow the Cavs to take back three players for one (Drummond). Fitting a fourth would take some roster tinkering.
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Dallas Mavericks
The Mavs were recently mentioned as a possible suitor on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/keepin-it-94/id1545629382" target="_blank" rel="noopener">our Keepin' It 94 podcast</a>. Beyond missing shots (although they're finding a rhythm now), Dallas' problem is that there's absolutely zero resistance in the paint for their opponents. Watch how Damian Lillard waltzed right to the cup in this possession. (It's not pretty).
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DAME DUNK <a href="https://twitter.com/Dame_Lillard?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@dame_lillard</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAAllStar?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAAllStar</a> <a href="https://t.co/3V8glwkmz7">pic.twitter.com/3V8glwkmz7</a>
&mdash; Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) <a href="https://twitter.com/trailblazers/status/1361117856998567936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 15, 2021</a></blockquote>

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The Mavs have the contracts to get a trade done, but are they really willing to give up a starter? James Johnson has an expiring $15.7 million salary. Include Willie Cauley-Stein and Trey Burke and it almost gets you there, which would probably be very suitable. Substitute Dorian Finney-Smith, one of the hearts of that team, for Burke and <a href="https://tradenba.com/trades/PBVwpjcGz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">it does work</a>. Tim Hardaway Jr. has a sizable salary, but would the Mavs be open to either of those things? Another option: Cleveland deals Drummond and JaVale McGee for Johnson and Dwight Powell in a bigs-for-bigs swap? Otherwise, again, there'd probably have to be a four-player deal. Just thinking out loud here.&nbsp;
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Brooklyn Nets
While there's a feasible way for the Nets to trade for Andre Drummond, it would come at a price. Spencer Dinwiddie, the face of the one of the most beloved franchise turnarounds we've seen in the NBA in recent years and an amazing talent, would have to be included in the deal along with DeAndre Jordan. Let's not forget that DJ came to town with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant at the latter's request. If you toss in Tyler Johnson with those two, the framework checks out.
Joe Harris cannot be traded until March 3 because he re-signed with Brooklyn and got a raise using his Bird Rights, but a Dinwiddie-and-Harris-for-Drummond trade would work as well when the time comes -- although, who in the world would give up a 50-percent three-baller on a team that thrives off drive-and-kicks? They're better off waiting to see if the Cavs can't find a trade partner and buy him out post-deadline. If Drummond hits the buyout market, Brooklyn has to be considered the frontrunner to land him.
Sacramento Kings
Here's an idea that hasn't been mentioned yet. The Kings are in the hunt for the playoffs in the Western Conference. Yes, Richaun Holmes has been busting his tail off at the 5 and it shouldn't be necessary to fix something that's not broken. However, who knows what Kings general manager Monte McNair is thinking. Is it possible he wants to strike while the iron's hot?
A potential framework that could get Drummond in a Kings uniform is simple. There are two guys out of the rotation in Nemanja Bjelica (who wants out) and Jabari Parker (who hasn't played a game yet). Throw in Cory Joseph and have Cleveland send back Damyean Dotson, who's had spotty minutes since the team's primary guards returned from injury. I don't think this idea is that far-fetched, but again, Holmes is playing out of his mind this year.
New York Knicks
With $15 million in cap room, the Knicks don't have to match salaries exactly to acquire Drummond. With Mitchell Robinson out for the next month or so due to a broken hand, they could try to strike a deal while still in contention for the postseason.
A package of Nerlens Noel and out-of-rotation reclamation projects Frank Ntilikina and Kevin Knox would make a ton of sense for Cleveland and it would keep New York in the hunt. Before we talk about Robinson's effectiveness, we know how much Tom Thibodeau loves his veterans. The Knicks just traded for Derrick Rose and seem interested in win-now moves. Also, by acquiring him now, the Knicks would have Drummond's Bird rights, which would make it easier to re-sign him this offseason if they are interested in him as more than a rental.
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Boston Celtics
We'll see if Celtics president Danny Ainge has any interest in Drummond. Boston holds a massive $28.5 million trade exception from this past offseason's Gordon Hayward sign-and-trade, but here's the caveat: Drummond's $28,751,774 salary is still too much for the Celtics to flat-out absorb.
The only chance they'd have at a deal is one that includes Marcus Smart, which is not going to happen. A Drummond-for-Kemba-Walker deal would work too, but that also isn't happening. It has been reported that <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-boston-celtics-searching-for-upgrades-to-wing-big-positions-danny-ainge" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Boston is looking for upgrades,</a> but unless a third team gets involved, it'll be very difficult for the Celtics and Cavs to figure out a trade for Drummond. Perhaps Boston is an option if he is bought out.
Charlotte Hornets
There's a way for Cleveland to get a four-player return for Drummond and Wade from Charlotte, but it involves the Hornets dealing Cody Zeller, Malik Monk and Bismack Biyombo. Aside from that, any other deal would require Charlotte to move All-Star candidate Terry Rozier or PJ Washington and that isn't going to happen. Unless the Cavs want even more centers in the locker room, this isn't a great fit (unless they can find a third team).
Oklahoma City Thunder
Sam Presti is a patient man who is trusting his rebuilding process, so this is nothing more than an idea. But if the Thunder sent Trevor Ariza, Darius Miller and Mike Muscala to Cleveland, they could theoretically bring in Drummond.
As you can plainly see, there a number of possibilities when it comes to trade partners for Cleveland. However, it's going to take some creativity to get a deal done with Drummond's massive contract.

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Free agent G Damyean Dotson has agreed to a two-year, $4M deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers, his agent Chris Gaston of @Famfirstsports tells ESPN.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1330924334416879623?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN</a>
ANALYSIS: After having a decently productive season as a starter in his second season with the New York Knicks, the pecking order drastically changed. RJ Barrett was drafted, and Dotson's opportunities and minutes dwindled. He has solid size at the guard position, and he's one of those players that can get hot quickly. Cleveland likely won't provide him with a ton of minutes, but there's a chance for him to crack the second-unit rotation in the backcourt.

Dotson spent the first three seasons of his career in New York, starting in 42 games.