Andre Drummond agreed to a one-year, $3.9 million deal with the New York Knicks, giving the club a veteran center for his 14th NBA season. He is expected to back up Karl-Anthony Towns after Mitchell Robinson's departure left the Knicks with a clear need in the middle.
Knicks add rebounding help
Drummond finished last season with the Philadelphia 76ers, where he played in 63 games and averaged 6.4 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists. He also shot 47.2% from the field and 35.6% from three-point range, production that fits a reserve role rather than a nightly scoring burden.
Ian Begley said the Knicks targeted Drummond for his veteran experience, strong rebounding ability and playoff experience. He also said the club has roughly $5 million left under the second apron, which keeps the move in the range of a low-cost frontcourt add rather than a major cap swing.
Mount Vernon veteran returns East
Drummond is from Mount Vernon, New York, and Friday's agreement sends him back to the area after a career that began with the ninth pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. He spent his first 7.5 seasons with the Detroit Pistons, made two All-Star Games there, and later played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Chicago Bulls, Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers.
His career line still carries weight. Across 967 games, Drummond has averaged 12.1 points, 11.9 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.2 blocks per game, numbers that explain why the Knicks are leaning on him for size and work on the glass rather than a larger scoring load.
Shams Charania said Drummond fills a vital center need for the Knicks after the departure of Mitchell Robinson, and also noted that he had interest from multiple other teams, including the Los Angeles Lakers, before making his decision on Friday. Ryan Garcia put the reaction in plain terms: “Not a huge fan of this. I won’t complain because I’ve sworn to not complain about the Knicks for years after this title. Rooting for Drummond to prove me wrong!”
The Knicks get a proven rebounder on a short deal, and Drummond gets a clear role behind Towns after finishing his 14th NBA season with the Philadelphia 76ers. Whether the one-year, $3.9 million deal includes any additional terms or guarantees is not explained.
