Andre Drummond announces he is joining LA Lakers for playoff race

The Lakers are fourth in the Western Conference having beaten Orlando Magic on Sunday

The centre is set to join LeBron James and Co (Getty Images)

Andre Drummond says he’s joining the LA Lakers for the playoff push.

Drummond announced his decision with a post on his Instagram account Sunday, writing “Back to work” underneath an illustration of himself in a Lakers uniform.

The defending NBA champions didn’t immediately confirm the signing of the two-time All-Star center several hours before a home game against Orlando.

Drummond agreed to a buyout Friday from the Cleveland Cavaliers, who acquired the four-time NBA rebounding champion last year after nearly eight seasons in Detroit. He had to clear waivers before he could join a team of his choosing, and Drummond chose to link up with LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the Lakers.

He is almost certain to get his first significant NBA postseason playing time with the Lakers after appearing in only eight playoff games — and losing all eight — in two postseason trips with the Pistons.

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When Drummond gets up to playing speed after sitting out the past six weeks, the two-time All-Star Game selection should be a notable upgrade at center for Los Angeles, which won a competition with several contenders for his services over the weekend.

Veteran Marc Gasol played inconsistently for the Lakers even before he returned recently from a 3 1/2-week bout with coronavirus, while 6-foot-8 Montrezl Harrell is undersized for the biggest defensive assignments in the middle.

Davis also plays center in many postseason matchups, but Drummond’s rebounding and interior scoring should immediately boost the Lakers as they attempt to hang on to a top seed in the Western Conference without James and Davis. James is out indefinitely with a sprained right ankle, while Davis hasn’t played since Feb. 14 due to a right calf injury.

Drummond is averaging 17.5 points, 13.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 25 starts for the Cavs this season. He hasn’t played since Feb. 12, when Cleveland benched him to give more playing time to youngster Jarrett Allen.

Drummond would be second in the league in rebounds per game to Atlanta’s Clint Capela if he had played enough games to qualify among the league leaders. His 4.0 offensive rebounds per game would be third in the NBA.

The Lakers currently rank ninth in the NBA in rebounds per game (45.1), but just 17th in offensive rebounds (9.6).

The 17-time champion franchise hasn’t had a rebounder of Drummond’s accomplishments for decades. The last Lakers player to top Drummond’s career average of 13.8 rebounds per game in even one single season was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1975-76, and Los Angeles has had just one league rebounding champ in those ensuing 45 years: Dwight Howard in 2012-13.

Drummond’s arrival in LA is the latest development in the NBA’s annual super-team agglomerations around the trade deadline. Brooklyn added Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge this month, while Miami got Victor Oladipo and Denver landed Aaron Gordon and JaVale McGee.

AP