NEWSLETTER
When the Chicago Bulls traded Alex Caruso for Josh Giddey last week, a shipment of dynamite was dropped off at the Advocate Center.
The shocking move seemed to symbolize a roster blow up. Caruso was easily the team’s best asset, and they traded that asset for a 21-year-old former lottery pick who was coming off his worst season. Add in the breakout play of Coby White from last season, and a youth movement would feel fitting in Chicago.
Alas, not even a full day after the Caruso trade broke, one report tied the Chicago Bulls to veteran wing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. And he isn’t the only win-now role player on the organization’s mind. Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported that the Chicago Bulls would like to re-sign their backup big man:
“Heading into free agency, Chicago would also like to re-sign center Andre Drummond, league sources told HoopsHype. At the trade deadline, Philadelphia thought it had a deal for Drummond before Chicago pulled out of talks. The Bulls were seeking three second-round picks for Drummond, sources said.”
Drummond is coming off a strong season where he averaged 8.4 points and 9.0 rebounds in 79 games played. He also showed everyone what he can do when given a little more opportunity when forced to start for an injured Nikola Vucevic. Drummond averaged 14.0 points and 17.4 rebounds over seven-straight stints in the starting lineup this past winter.
With that in mind, he felt like a prime candidate to find a new home this summer. Not only would he likely demand more than his current veteran minimum (and the Bulls are pinched for cash), but the front office recently signed Vucevic to a three-year, $60 million deal. Drummond could likely find a bigger role elsewhere. However, I guess the Bulls want to convince him otherwise.
Why Re-Sign Andre Drummond?
I have three main thoughts with this report, and I think we should go through them one-by-one.
(1) It’s all strategy
Posturing happens all the time in free agency. The 30-year-old’s camp may be trying to drum up (pun totally intended) interest in their client. The more teams who sounded interest in Drummond, the more money he can demand come Sunday when free agency opens. If we’re being honest, I think this is the most likely outcome. Have the Bulls possibly said in the past that they would like to keep Drummond around? Sure. But they likely have this pretty far down their current priority list.
(2) Nikola Vucevic’s future is in doubt
This isn’t the first time I’ve wondered if Nikola Vucevic could be headed elsewhere. The Bulls demonstrated that almost anything could be on the table by trading Caruso. He was one of the most well-respected figures in the organization, so it surely feels like a full-blown roster overhaul could be on the horizon. If the Bulls are quietly surveying the market for Vucevic suitors, they’re going to need a big man to fill his spot. Why not Drummond?
While they’ll have to pay him more than the minimum, he still shouldn’t cost the team anything crazy. Not to mention, if the Bulls are serious about taking a competitive step back, they could give Drummond a pretty sizable role and hope he becomes a real trade asset. Now, it’s fair to wonder if Drummond would even want to sign up for that when he could probably land with a contender this offseason. But he’s been stuck with a limited role in recent years, so perhaps he’d run with the opportunity.
(3) The Bulls are dumb
Of course, we must not rule out the possibility that the Bulls want to bring back both Vucevic and Drummond. If Drummond stuck around on a veteran minimum deal, I guess it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world, but that happening is highly unlikely.
The more likely scenario would be paying him more money to remain a veteran backup to their veteran starter, which feels like the opposite of what the organization should be doing. Indeed, this would coincide far more with the “remain competitive” mindset that has plagued Chicago the past two seasons. It would also fill another roster spot with a familiar face, making the “change” Karnisovas vowed for that much harder to come by.
Again, I respect Drummond for the way he’s played and embraced his role while in Chicago. He’s been an enjoyable watch. But this is the exact kind of roster spot the Bulls should feel comfortable changing, as well as the exact kind they should avoid spending on.
