On May 31st ESPN’s Dave McMenamin appeared on The Lowe Post podcast and talked about Andre Drummonds future with the Lakers. Contrary to popular opinion, it seems Drummond will be part of the Lakers’ future.
“They have been so committed to him being the ceremonial starter,” said McMenamin of Drummond on The Lowe Post. “And obviously, he gets more than just ceremonial minutes. That seems to be something that is important to Drummond, which makes it important to the Lakers front office because they have signaled to everyone listening that this isn’t just a half-a-season-buyout-market rental. Andre Drummond is part of the future moving forward with this franchise.”
Dave McMenamin on the Lowe Post
This comes as a surprise because most people figured this was a one-year partnership between Drummond and the Lakers. The Lakers got another big man to add to their rotation. Meanwhile, Drummond got a chance to prove his worth to any teams looking to sign him in the offseason.
Reports earlier this season suggested that Drummond expected a max contract this summer. If Drummonds priority is getting a max contract, then the Lakers won’t be his number one destination. A quick look at the Lakers cap situation, and it’s clear that they’ll be over the salary cap next year. In Christian Rivas’ report after the Lakers signed Drummond earlier this year, they likely won’t be able to offer him more than a veteran minimum contract.
With the Lakers this year, Drummond averaged 11.9 points and 10.2 rebounds per game in the regular season, in 24.8 minutes a game. His minutes have dropped closer to 20 in the playoffs, most likely due to the return of Anthony Davis. But with Anthony Davis unlikely to play game 5, Drummond is set to have a big role as we advance in this series.
This situation will likely come down to Drummond’s decision this offseason. The Lakers sound interested in keeping him, so they will make their best offer. But would Drummond take less money and a smaller role to stay with a winning team? Or will he rather have a bigger contract or role on a different team?
