Dave Litman
It was a tough loss for the NBA champions when backup center Mitchell Robinson bolted for the arch-rival Boston Celtics in free agency. But the New York Knicks have moved quickly to sign a replacement, inking veteran Andre Drummond on a $3.9 million one-year deal.
Let’s be clear, Drummond, soon to be 33, doesn’t have the athleticism that Robinson brings to the floor, but he can hit the boards with the best of them. Drummond averages 16.5 rebounds Per-36-Minutes for his career. Of course, he hasn’t even averaged 20 minutes per night for the past five years, but you get the idea. Drummond crashes the boards whenever he’s out on the floor and is an elite interior defender.
He led the NBA in rebounding several times with the Detroit Pistons as a starter back in the second half of the 2010s, and has basically maintained the same pace even on reduced minutes in a backup role in the second half of his career.
Drummond also expanded his game a bit last season, convincing Philadelphia 76ers head coach Nick Nurse to allow him to shoot threes, something which were completely non-existent in his arsenal for the first 13 years of his career. And after putting in a ton of work on it, he did alright, hitting from long distance at a 35.6% clip, averaging one and a half attempts per game.
Drummond caves in his contract hopes in order to sign with Knicks
As for his accepting a $3.9 million deal with the Knicks, it represents a significant change of heart from a few days ago. Drummond said he’s tired of taking pay cuts and wouldn’t be doing it anymore.
“I did that once and then I got labeled as one of those guys, and I think it really killed my value in the NBA, because I’m still moving like I’m in my mid-20s. I still have a lot left in the tank,” Drummond said only a few days ago. For context, he earned $5 million per year on his last contract. So much for that ‘No more pay cuts’ pledge.
What he’s undoubtedly referring to is the 2020-21 season. Playing on a $28.7 million deal, he was bought out by the Cleveland Cavaliers and signed a one-year, veteran’s minimum contract with the LA Lakers for the rest of the season. The next year, he settled for a $2.4 million deal with the Brooklyn Nets.
Drummond’s signing in New York throws a bit of a wrench into the LA Lakers’ plans, as they were eyeing re-signing the big man for their backup center spot. Jonas Valanciunas and Kevon Looney are other options, however.
