Team trades McGee, keeps Drummond

The Cavaliers beat the NBA trade deadline on the morning of March 25 by trading backup center JaVale McGee to the Denver Nuggets for Isaiah Hartenstein and two second-round draft picks.

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN was first to announce details of the trade. Hartenstein is a 22-year-old forward-center with a $1.7 million player option for next season. The Cavs are getting a protected 2023 second-round pick and an unprotected 2027 secondround pick in the trade.

McGee, 33, was averaging eight points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocked shots a game for the Cavaliers.

He had been the subject of trade rumors for weeks.

Coach J.B. Bickerstaff did not play McGee on March 24 when the Cavs beat the Bulls, 103-94 in Chicago — a clue McGee was on his way out.

“He meant a lot to us, the spirit he brought, the passion he played with, how he related to the guys,” Bickerstaff said following a lateafternoon practice March 25. “It was unique for a guy coming from championship runs to our situation. It was unique he was able to take that type role.”

McGee played on the Warriors NBA championship teams in 2018 and 2019 and the Lakers’ 2020 championship team.

Hartenstein, in his third NBA season, played in 30 games with the Nuggets in 2020-21 after two seasons with the Houston Rockets. He is averaging 3.5 points and 2.8 rebounds a game this season.

Hartenstein takes over McGee’s role with the Cavaliers as the backup center to Jarrett Allen.

Bickerstaff would not comment on Hartenstein because the trade was not official when he was on the Zoom call.

Rumors had Cedi Osman and Taurean Prince possibly being traded, but now those players know their lives won’t be disrupted, at least for the rest of the season.

“Hearing your name in rumors, it’s difficult to see the flattery in that, but it means people want you,” Bickerstaff said. “At the same time, there’s so much you have to give up when you are traded. Our guys want to be here.”

With no other deals, the Cavs will likely turn their attention toward buying out the contract of center Andre Drummond.

“I think it’s good for both of us,” Bickerstaff said. “It’s good for the organization and it’s good for Dre, too. I can’t say enough good things about Dre and how he handled all this. The competitor in him wanted to play. His teammates loved him.”

Drummond hasn’t played since Feb. 12. He is healthy, but general manager Koby Altman chose to make Drummond inactive while he tried to trade the 27-year-old center after Allen in a January trade.