Andre Drummond will reportedly bypass free agency and pick up his $28.7 million player option to remain with the Cavaliers next season.
Andre Drummond has decided to pick up his $28.7 million player option to remain with the Cleveland Cavaliers next season in lieu of free agency, according to The New York Times' Marc Stein.
By picking up his option in Cleveland, Drummond will be in line to hit the free-agent market next offseason. This year, free agency is set to start on Friday, Nov. 20 at 6 p.m. EST.
Drummond, 27, spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Detroit Pistons before he was traded to Cleveland in February. The two-time All-Star played in eight games with the Cavaliers before the season was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Drummond said he has spent his quarantine reflecting and called the time away from the court a “blessing in disguise” to reset his body.
In 2019-20, Drummond averaged 17.7 points, 15.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 57 games played.
Keep up with the latest news and rumors around the NBA:
- The Timberwolves have not made a decision on who they are selecting with the No. 1 overall draft pick on Wednesday, if they keep it, but have honed in on LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edwards. (Sam Vecenie, The Athletic)
- The Pelicans are trading Jrue Holiday to the Bucks for Eric Bledsoe, George Hill and three first-round picks. (Shams Charania, The Athletic)
- The Bucks and Kings reached an agreement in principle on a sign-and-trade that will bring Bogdan Bogdanovic and Justin James to Milwaukee and send Donte DiVincenzo, D.J. Wilson and Ersan Ilyasova to Sacramento. (Adrian Wojnarowski and Andrew Lopez, ESPN)
- James Harden rejected an extension with the Rockers and is focused on a trade to the Brooklyn Nets. (Adrian Wojnarowski, ESPN)
- The Rockets are finalizing a trade to send Robert Covington to the Trail Blazers for Trevor Ariza, a 2020 first-round pick and a 2021 protected first-round pick. (Adrian Wojnarowski, ESPN)
- The Suns are finalizing a deal to acquire Thunder guard Chris Paul for Ricky Rubio, Ty Jerome, Jalen Lecque and a 2022 first-rounder. (Adrian Wojnarowski, ESPN)