Bulls Offer Andre Drummond Newfound Stability With Set Role

The Chicago Bulls had one of the biggest offseasons in recent franchise history in 2021, acquiring both Lonzo Ball and DeMar DeRozan in costly sign-and-trades, putting the historic team back into relevance.

One year later, after the first playoff appearance since 2017, the Bulls came away with Andre Drummond and Goran Dragic in free agency, which to many fans was underwhelming compared to the aforementioned actions of last year.

However, the acquisition of Drummond may have some long-term benefits which aren’t necessarily immediately recognizable.

Stability of role

Drummond, best known for his days as a Detroit Piston, was traded away by the team in the 2020 NBA Trade Deadline. Since then, the former All-Star has yet to appear in 50 games for any the four teams he’s played for since.

He played in 49 games as a Sixer, 33 games as a Cav, 24 as a Net, and 21 as a Laker. That’s a lot of instability over the course of two and a half years, allowing him the chance to finally settle down with a franchise for a longer period of time. If the Bulls keep him throughout the entirety of the 2022-2023 season, and he remains healthy, Chicago would represent the most stability of any team since Drummond sported a Pistons jersey.

Why is this relevant, you might wonder.

As basketball players are human beings, having stability in life, as well as job security, is objectively a good thing. Being moved around frequently and not knowing where you’ll work next isn’t exactly enjoyable. For the Bulls to sign Drummond to a two-year deal, worth an admittedly very modest $6.6 million, should allow the veteran a chance to settle firmly into a set role, which will be fleshed out during training camp.

Also worth noting is the fact that Drummond comes in with a very obvious area of strength. Over 718 career games, the 6’10 center has grabbed 9,519 rebounds, 13.3 per game over 29.6 minutes per night. Drummond, who will back up Nikola Vucevic, is likely to receive around 16-18 minutes per night, and should be able to get close to double-digit rebounding despite the low amount of minutes, while also presenting himself as a lob target and garbage man, who scores off putbacks.

Over the past three seasons, Drummond has also sported Per36 averages of 2.0 steals and 1.7 blocks, which represents a fairly high level of raw statistical production.

Yes, he might struggle to guard pick and rolls, and he will get beat when he switches onto quicker guards, but for a backup center who is earning less than 3% of the salary cap, there’s very little risk associated with his contract, with substantial upside when matched up against opposing bench players.

Starting alternative

Drummond, having started in 630 games over his career, is used to be on the floor at opening tip, making him a prime candidate get starting nods if Vucevic goes down. Last year’s backups, Tristan Thompson and Tony Bradley, weren’t on the same level as Drummond, making him an immediate upgrade in situations where the Bulls might need a fill-in.

Drummond can also handle extended minutes in case of foul trouble with the starters, which serves as another feather in his cap, and gives Chicago the luxury of having a player at their disposal who can be relied on to absorb more court time.

The acquisition of Drummond also helps the Bulls in another way. Chicago ranked 23rd in dunks last season (321), suggesting they were leaving points on the board by simply not converting in close. Drummond alone, playing just 19.7 minutes per game, had 93 dunks and immediately becomes a player who will put pressure on the rim offensively.

This isn’t to say Drummond is perfect. He was available at that price tag for a reason. His 280-pound frame doesn’t allow for much movement, especially on the perimeter. He also has moments where he stays down on the floor defensively, deciding not to challenge shots near the rim which he, somewhat easily, could swat away due to his leaping ability and long reach.

Simply put, Drummond’s 7’6 wingspan feels underused, especially in drop coverage. He fouls a ton (4.3 Per36 minutes), and often appears to play defense with his hands instead of his feet, which limits his impact on that end of the floor.

As a starter, and a major building block, Drummond is overtaxed for who he is. As a backup who can be set loose in limited minutes, with a clear role attached to him, there’s upside in the signing.

Unless noted otherwise, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball-Reference. All salary information via Spotrac. All odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.