Andre Drummond just enjoyed a solid season for the Chicago Bulls, but now, he will be an unrestricted free agent. When ranking the Bulls’ priorities this summer, Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report said that re-signing or replacing Drummond should be one of their top three items to take care of.
“Two summers back, the Bulls brought Andre Drummond to the Windy City on a two-year, $6.6 million deal. The return on that investment has been significant,” Buckley wrote. “The veteran has been one of the league’s most productive backup bigs over this stretch. He doesn’t seen a ton of floor time due to rather severe offensive limitations—he adds next to nothing away from the basket—but he absolutely makes the most of his minutes. His per-36-minutes averages speak to that interior activity: 18.9 rebounds, 17.4 points and 3.1 combined blocks and steals, per Basketball-Reference.
“Those numbers will get him noticed as an unrestricted free agent. The question is whether they’ll also get him a richer deal than Chicago wants to pay. If he bolts out of town for more money, minutes or both, the Bulls will feel his absence and have to respond to it with a signing of their own.”
The Bulls don’t have much center depth, and Drummond has been solid for them. They can’t let him walk without having a good replacement option in mind.
