Lakers are targeting the most random (and bad) former Laker at the trade deadline

As the NBA trade deadline gets closer and closer the list of potential Los Angeles Lakers trade targets continues to grow. Los Angeles is looking to do something at the deadline this season and fans should expect some level of activity this week.

The list of potential targets continues to grow and none of the names mentioned are ground-breaking in any way. Los Angeles is not going to pull off a superstar trade and will instead improve around the edges as the team looks to get hot for a playoff run.

Even with low expectations, the latest reported trade target that the Lakers have is surprising and doesn't seem to make a ton of sense. According to Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype, the Lakers are potentially targeting a reunion with big man Andre Drummond.

"One Bulls player who could be dealt, however, is center Andre Drummond who’s drawn trade interest from the Celtics, Mavericks, Lakers and Suns, league sources told HoopsHype. "

Lakers reportedly targeting Andre Drummond at the trade deadline

The Lakers have been tied to several players on the Chicago Bulls in the past and with Zach LaVine now being out for the year, the odds of Chicago actually being sellers is higher. Instead of trading for someone like Alex Caruso or DeMar DeRozan, though, it appears that the Lakers may take the Andre Drummond avenue.

Drummond is a familiar name with Lakers fans and it wouldn't be surprising if the fanbase was behind a reunion with the big man. After all, the Lakers haven't gotten much out of the center position this season and Nikola Jokic straight-up admitted that the hardest matchup he ever faced was the Lakers in 2020 when they had multiple bigs to throw at him alongside Anthony Davis.

As great as that all sounds on paper, Drummond would not move the needle much for the Lakers. He is a familiar name, sure, but that does not mean that he is a productive center anymore in the year 2024.

Drummond is racking up just 15 minutes of playing time a game with the Bulls. In those 15 minute is scoring 7.7 points with 8.3 rebounds and 1.7 stocks (steals plus blocks). Sure, when you extrapolate those numbers out to a per-36 minutes basis they look great, but there is a reason why Drummond is only playing 15 minutes.

Drummond kills floor spacing, which would be even worse with LeBron and AD already on the court. He also is not nearly as athletic as he used to be and isn't the rim-protecting menace that he once was. He is a past his prime rebounding big. That is all.

Having those bigs on the roster does help, as evidenced by Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee in 2020. But there is a difference between signing those guys in free agency and having to trade actual assets for them.

Drummond simply wouldn't be worth the cost. The Lakers would have to match his contract and would have to trade a young asset like Max Christie (along with at least one second-round pick). Heck, even Maxwell Lewis wouldn't be worth trading for the minimal difference Drummond would make.

Drummond is a shocking trade target for the Lakers because he is a bad trade target. The Lakers should be looking to move the needle, not hold it in idle.