2. Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are at the perfect contention level to be after a guy like Andre Drummond. They are a team that made the playoffs last season and is going to convince itself that it can make a run because they have Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal.
Will they actually make a run? No. But having two all-star players convinces teams that they are better than they are and the Wizards are going to do anything it takes to improve, which includes signing Andre Drummond.
Washington does not really have any cap space to work with, however, making Drummond an MLE target for the team. It all makes perfect sense with how basketball operates as well. The Wizards convince themselves that they are getting a great deal by signing Drummond to the MLE and can tout the fact that they have three former all-stars.
The team needs a center with Robin Lopez hitting free agency and a twosome of Thomas Bryant and Andre Drummond is not awful. Will Drummond move the needle? Probably not and the fit of Drummond clogging the lane for Westbrook is probably less than ideal.
However, we see these kinds of moves all the time from teams in the same position that the Wizards are in, so don’t be surprised.