Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Drummond, Reed, Raptors, Sanders

A report on Monday indicated that the Knicks are considering the possibility of a multiyear contract offer for Andre Drummond if he’s bought out and reaches free agency. However, a source from one opposing team is skeptical about Drummond’s fit in New York, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv.

“I don’t love it for (Julius) Randle,” Begley’s source said. “Drummond plays close to the rim, so you’re limiting what Randle can do. Long-term, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.”

Besides the fit with Randle, there’s concern about what sort of impact adding Drummond would have on the development of young Knicks center Mitchell Robinson, who is under contract through 2022. At this point though, there’s no reason to necessarily believe the Knicks would be the frontrunner for Drummond over title contenders like the Lakers and Nets if he agrees to a buyout with Cleveland.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

  • Coming off an impressive performance in the G League bubble, Sixers rookie forward Paul Reed is expected to have his two-way contract turned into a standard deal at some point, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. Charania doesn’t make it clear whether that will happen during the season or in the summer, but I imagine the 76ers would prefer to get it done sooner rather than later — Reed would be a restricted free agent if he finishes the season on his current deal, opening the door for a rival team to give him an offer sheet.
  • The shorthanded Raptors are in the midst of a five-game losing streak, but the slide – which has come with Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, and two other players sidelined – shouldn’t change the team’s approach to the trade deadline, one way or the other, writes Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca.
  • Raptors 905 general manager Chad Sanders has been named the NBA G League Executive of the Year for 2020/21, per a press release. Sanders’ squad had the best regular season record in the NBAGL bubble, at 12-3.
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