Report: Lakers considering reuniting with familiar face in anticipation of possible playoff rematch vs. Nuggets

The Los Angeles Lakers have reportedly considered trading for Chicago Bulls big man Andre Drummond in anticipation of a possible playoff rematch versus the Denver Nuggets.

“The Lakers have also considered dealing for players who could address specific needs in a potential playoff matchup, such as Andre Drummond of the Bulls, in anticipation of a postseason rematch with the Denver Nuggets and their big front line of Nikola Jokic and Aaron Gordon, sources said,” Dave McMenamin wrote. “Dorian Finney-Smith of the Brooklyn Nets is a big wing L.A. could covet for a playoff series with the [Los Angeles] Clippers to try to neutralize Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.”

Jokic and the Nuggets swept the Lakers in the 2023 Western Conference Finals before beating the Miami Heat in five games in the championship series.

Drummond has put up solid numbers in a bench role with the Bulls so far during the 2023-24 regular season. He has played in every one of Chicago’s 45 regular-season games to this point and is averaging 7.6 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 54.8 percent from the field.

He put together one of his better performances of the season not too long ago. Against the Memphis Grizzlies on Jan. 20, Drummond ended up with 15 points while shooting 7-of-11 from the floor to go along with 10 rebounds and four steals in just 19 minutes of action.

Less than two weeks before his performance against the Grizzlies, he had another dominant game against the Charlotte Hornets on Jan. 8. He totaled 21 points and 15 rebounds while shooting 9-of-12 from the field in 23 minutes of action.

Drummond played in 21 games with the storied Lakers franchise during the 2020-21 regular season and averaged 11.9 points, 10.2 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 1.0 block per game while shooting 53.1 percent from the floor.

The Lakers have been an inconsistent team so far this season, as evidenced by their 22-22 record, which has them as the No. 9 seed in the Western Conference right now. But on the bright side, the team is fresh off a win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Jan. 21.

Drummond’s interior scoring and rebounding chops make him an intriguing trade target for the Lakers. But the team doesn’t have a whole lot of time left to make a move for the big man, considering the trade deadline is on Feb. 8.

After facing off against the Los Angeles Clippers on the road on Tuesday, the Lakers will then host the Bulls — who own a 6-4 record over their last 10 games — on Jan. 25.