JULY 6: The Bulls have made it official with Drummond, announcing the deal on Twitter.
JUNE 30: The Bulls will add veteran center Andre Drummond to bolster their frontcourt, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports (Twitter link) that Chicago will ink Drummond to a two-year, $6.6MM contract, with a player option for 2023/24. A two-year deal at the veteran’s minimum would be worth $5.95MM, so presumably the Bulls – who don’t have the bi-annual exception available this season – are dipping into their mid-level to complete the signing.
The Drummond deal is the first reported free agent addition for Chicago during the 2022 offseason. The team is still hoping to re-sign two-time All-Star shooting guard Zach LaVine, an unrestricted free agent. Unsigned veteran free agent forward Danilo Gallinari has also been mentioned as a possibility for Chicago.
Additionally, the Bulls have a $5MM trade exception left over from a Daniel Theis sign-and-trade during the 2021 offseason it must use (or lose) by July 7.
Drummond, 28, is coming off an impressive bounce-back season split between the Sixers and Nets, and Chicago no doubt hopes he can help shore up the team’s frontcourt depth.
Selected by the Pistons with the ninth pick out of Connecticut in 2012, the 6’10” Drummond blossomed into a two-time All-Star for Detroit. Drummond agreed to a five-year maximum-salary contract with Detroit in 2016. He was eventually traded to the Cavaliers, before signing a one-year veteran’s minimum deal with the Lakers ahead of the 2020/21 season.
Playing as a reserve behind Sixers All-Star Joel Embiid to start the 2021/22 season on another minimum deal, Drummond saw limited touches on offense, but was still able to feast on the glass in limited minutes. Across 18.4 MPG, he averaged 6.1 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.1 SPG and 0.9 BPG in 49 contests with Philadelphia.
The Sixers included Drummond to the Nets as part of the team’s trade package for All-Star guard James Harden. With Brooklyn, Drummond enjoyed an expanded offensive role. He started in all 24 of his games with the Nets, averaging 11.8 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 1.4 APG, 1.0 BPG and 0.9 SPG during 22.3 MPG.
link to twitter.com
Now this is a smart move. Now sign Zach.
Excellent pick up. He’s best rebounder in gm. Now they have big depth. Still could use a stretch 4. (Saric)
Exactly this
strange agreeing with you
Good luck to him in Chicago. He played and worked hard for the sixers.
Was really hoping we could lure him back to Philly, but knew he deserves to make more than we could afford to pay him. Best backup center Embiid has ever had.
I am disgusted unless this is a veteran minimum
Well you don’t know basketball clearly
garpax is that you?
Good cheap pickup. Better than Bradley
They needed a backup big that can defend pick and roll, and protect the rim, and this move does neither of those things…but they really can also use someone that can play small ball 5, as that was an issue for them last year. Looney would have been great for them
…though to be fair, last year was his best year in a lot of areas, so we’ll see. Retaining the defense they had last year on the wing will be a big help for him
First domino of KD coming to Chicago lol … actually do like this signing – a better Tristian Thompson
Do a bease!
Would imagine he and Caruso will come off the bench first most nights and get the most bench minutes. Good signing to improve the front court depth. Keep it going.
It was only like 3 years ago the Pistons were paying him 20+mil hahaha.
Nah but in all honestly I think he should still be a starter on the right team. I don’t think there is 30 odd better centres than him.
Two-time all-star centre Andre Drummond is finalizing a two-year, $6.6 million deal with the Chicago Bulls, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The second year of the contract is a player option, Wojnarowski reports.48 mins ago
We know, we all read this post…..
Drummond will end up starting. They will trade vucevic and Williams for Clint capela. That leaves Ball; Lavine, Derozan, Capela, and Drummond as starters
As the song goes, ” Still crazy, after all these years”. Please stop posting and go back to rehab. Soon.
Why can’t they use the trade exception for Drummond, and use the full MLE to keep Gallinari from Boston? A 3/$30 like Tucker got.
Trade exemption has to be a trade.
and it only allows you to skip sending back salary, its not an exception like MLE
Should have used MLE on Bamba
What tells he would have joined them? Or that they didn’t offer that?
Bulls do have bi-annual exception available according to Spotrac
They are wrong, as we used it for Tristan Thompson. Bulls and mavericks are the 2 teams without bae
The Bulls don’t have their Bi annual exception this year having used it last year. By it’s very descriptive term Bi, Means it can only be used every other year. So they don’t have one this year. That being said one important piece down, one to go. A decent backup 4 and some roster fillers to get to 17. I sure hope LaVine is worth it.
I know Malcom Hill and Justin Lewis will be 2 of those fillers, Maybe Devon Dotson also depending on who gets two ways and who gets regular deals. Still have a 5 million dollar trade exception they could use though it has to be used by 7/7. Gallinari seems like he’d be a bit pricey to me but PJ Tucker could be a cheaper, shorter term answer by the FA route. Stay tuned.
Oops, didn’t see Tucker signed. Wow, That’s more than I thought a 37 year old guy would get.
Lewis is definitely someone that should see time as depth 4. I imagine he is a reason to potentially not bring back derrick Jones jr, although DJJ can play on the wing as well. I do think Gallinaro is a foot behind Patrick William’s, and gives them some much needed shooting, even though they dont have the same defense on the wing they did last year
Damn autocorrect again…*Gallinari at the 4 is a good fit behind Williams
good signing, top-3 rebounder last year, he will help you win more games in the regular season and he can fill the paint way better than bradley
Championship.