J.B. Bickerstaff Concerned Andre Drummond Trade Rumors Could Impact Cavs' Morale

Cleveland Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff told reporters Wednesday he's concerned the team shutting down Andre Drummond to explore trade avenues could impact the team's morale. 

Bickerstaff added that he expects the team to remain professional and focused despite the awkward situation, which will see Drummond continue traveling with the team but sitting out games to avoid injury ahead of the March 25 trade deadline.

The Cavs received public criticism for sitting out Drummond, most notably from Draymond Green, who pointed out the hypocrisy of players being criticized when asking for a trade but being forced to sit when a team wants to trade them. 

"Nobody's opinion should be muted. Conversations that we've had with our guys as far as this process goes that everybody's not privy to," Bickerstaff said. "Guys have [a] right to speak their voice and organizations have to do what's best for the organization."

Green made extended comments about Drummond's situation this week, juxtaposing it with the criticism James Harden received for requesting a trade from the Houston Rockets. 

"To watch Andre Drummond, before the game, sit on the sidelines, then go to the back, and to come out in street clothes because a team is going to trade him, it's bulls--t," Green said. "Because when James Harden asked for a trade and essentially dogged it ... no one's going to fight back that James was dogging it his last days in Houston," Green said. "But he was castrated for wanting to go to a different team and everybody destroyed that man, and yet a team can come out and say, 'Oh, we want to trade a guy,' and then that guy has to go sit, and if he doesn't stay professional then he's a cancer, and he's not good in someone's locker room, and he's the issue."

The Cavs and Drummond mutually agreed sitting the two-time All-Star was the best course of action, but it's a signal that the franchise has essentially given up on trying to win this season. Drummond averaged 17.5 points and 13.5 rebounds this season for the Cavs, coming out of the gate strong before tapering off after Cleveland acquired Jarrett Allen.

The Cavs inserted Allen into the starting lineup in place of Drummond and plan on installing him as their franchise center.