The Philadelphia 76ers entered the season probably anxious about the state of their center rotation. Joel Embiid was a massive question mark at the beginning of the campaign, and his primary backups were Andre Drummond, who was coming off his worst year yet as a pro, and sophomore big man Adem Bona.
Drummond quelled all doubts about his viability as a backup center for the 76ers early on with his impressive performances night in and out. He was a rock-solid part of the rotation, supplying the team with a heavy dose of rebounding and physicality on both ends. However, it seems like the coaching staff has decided to go younger in the position — casting a huge cloud over his future in Philly.
Bona has taken on the mantle as Embiid’s primary backup as of late. With the former MVP now slowly returning to his dominant form and getting healthier, Drummond’s court time has been reduced drastically, only sniffing the court when Embiid is out due to back-to-backs and starting games as a fill-in.
The 76ers have made up their minds about Andre Drummond
Drummond is on an expiring deal, and his $5 million salary will be a very easy one to match. As such, he would most likely be pursued by teams in need of more size before the trade deadline. And given how the 76ers are angling, it appears that they will gladly accept offers for the former All-Star center.
Keeping Drummond actually makes a lot of sense, but if the coaching staff is hellbent on accelerating the development of Adem Bona and entrenching Dominick Barlow as their resident utility big man, then making the veteran available for taking would also give them a good opportunity to reel in some more assets, such as second-round picks.
The 32-year-old has been more than just serviceable this season. In fact, under ordinary circumstances, people would probably be baffled by Drummond even being on the trading block given the minimal risks associated with simply keeping him in the fold. Having said that, the 76ers are laying some groundwork for the future in which he is not a part of.
Andre Drummond has been a major contributor for the 76ers this season, helping the team stay affloat when Joel Embiid was still trying to regain his mojo. Unfortunately, his utility was waned in recent weeks, and it will not be a surprise if he ends the season donning a different colorway.