2. Philly reunites with an elite backup center in Andre Drummond
Heading into the offseason, the 76ers were adamant on bringing in a difference-maker off the bench from the center position, one who can reliably back Embiid up and step into the starting unit when needed. Not to be denied, Philly went on to make a savvy move for Andre Drummond, whose role realignment in recent years served him well to become an elite backup big man.
Drummond, to the tune of two years and $10 million, arrives to a Philadelphia team in dire need of whatever juice he still has. Fortunately, there’s still plenty, and his incredibly productive campaign last season (adjusted to his role) will be something of tremendous value for a team employing Joel Embiid. In just a hair above 17 minutes per game, the former All-Star almost logged a double-double on a nightly basis.
The undertone of this signing make this even better. Chicago, which allegedly wanted to remain competitive and in turn, kept Drummond despite the 76ers offering three second-round picks for his services, just allowed him to walk away for nothing instead. Yikes for the Bulls, fleece for the Sixers.
Grade: A+