Fischer: Celtics interested in Andre Drummond and LaMarcus Aldridge as buyout candidates

We’ve heard these rumblings before. Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer is reporting that the Celtics could still be interested in big men LaMarcus Aldridge and Andre Drummond if they’re bought out by the Spurs and Cavaliers respectively.

That shouldn’t come as a surprise. Both veterans are still productive players despite some questions on the defensive end. Neither would likely start for the Celtics, but Boston has been starving for consistent bench production. The Celtics are ninth in the league in second unit minutes, but are 26th in points per game (32.3).

In his fourteen years in the league, Aldridge has career averages of 19.4 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. This season for the Spurs, those numbers dipped to 13.7 points and 4.5 rebounds in nearly 26 minutes per game. He’s still a reliable mid-range shooter and could be a solid late-clock option in Boston. Fischer reports that one team scout said, “that sounds like their No. 1 priority,” Aldridge has also been linked to the Miami Heat over the last several days leading up to Thursday’s trade deadline.

Drummond’s skills are vastly different. The ground-and-pound vet lives in the paint and even in his limited time in Cleveland, he put up nearly 18 and 14 a night. Most GM’s have him ticketed to the Lakers if and when he gets bought out, but a spot in Boston’s rotation might interest the 27-year-old as a young-ish mentor for a young team.