Andre Drummond Signs With Lakers After Cavaliers Buyout
Andre Drummond #3 of the Cleveland Cavaliers talks with players on the Atlanta Hawks bench during the first half at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on February 12, 2020 in Cleveland, Ohio. Jason Miller/Getty Images

After he was able to secure a buyout from the Cleveland Cavaliers, Andre Drummond has signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, the team announced on Sunday.

The last game of the All-Star Center was way back on Feb. 12 in Cavaliers uniform. But since the acquisition of Jarrett Allen, who also plays the center position, the Cavaliers benched Andre Drummond and preserved him for a trade.

Drummond's $28.7 million salary placed the Cavaliers in a tough position in finding a trade partner as most teams cannot match the trade due to the salary cap, which led to the buyout.

According to CBS Sports, the vice president of the Los Angeles Lakers basketball operations, Rob Pelinka, noted that Andre Drummond gave them powerful and anchor-point skills on both ends of the floor.

Pelinka also said they feel highly fortunate for the addition of another player in their core group who has a caliber and magnitude just like Andre Drummond has at this point. It is just months away from the playoffs, wherein they will be defending their NBA title.

Andre Drummond in Purple and Gold

For some experts, the trade did not come as a surprise as the Los Angeles Lakers have been linked to the former Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers big man for some time now, especially when the Cavs decided to shut him down until they can trade him or bought him out of his contract.

Even players of the Los Angeles Lakers have been trying to recruit the big man in signing with them, selling him on playing for a team who's the defending champion that also has the capacity of getting there again in the postseason, ESPN reported.

Before injuries broke the Lakers' lineup, the combination of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Dennis Schroder, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, also a former teammate of Drummond in his days in Detroit Pistons, was outsourcing their opponents by 13.9 points per 100 possessions.

Aside from that, Montrezl Harrell is also making his way off the bench, scoring efficient numbers.

Andre Drummond, who Klutch Sports also represent, just like most of the players in the Lakers roster, is only one of the big men for the Los Angeles Lakers, which will also be a challenge for the Lakers head coach, Frank Vogel, if how he is going to balance all of those bigs.

But last year, Vogel was able to manage well the playing time of the Centers like Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee, who earned their minutes depending on the teams they have faced.

But since the Lakers roster's remake before the season started, the Lakers have clearly lacked athleticism in the paint due to the absence of Howard and McGee. Drummond's signing means that they have got a double-double machine in the paint and a rim protector before the playoffs.

In his 10-year career, Andre Drummond averages a double-double, and this season, he is averaging 17.5 points and 13.5 rebounds, which are both close to his career highs.

After his first media conference as a Laker, Andre Drummond immediately headed to a practice facility for his conditioning. But the appearance of Drummond in Lakers uniform is still unknown, NBA.com reported.

WATCH: Reacting to Andre Drummond to the Lakers - From ESPN