The biggest trade in the NBA in 2021-22 came on the eve of the trade deadline, when All-Star guard James Harden was traded from the Brooklyn Nets to the Philadelphia 76ers to trade All-Star guard Ben Simmons, the third player in the deal to ever be named an All-Star, but no one seemed to pay much attention to Andre Drummond joining the Nets.
After being bought out by the Cleveland Cavaliers last season, Drummond joined the Los Angeles Lakers on a base-paying contract to play for the rest of the 2020-21 season, but his role on the court was sharply diminished, and he completely withdrew from the Lakers' rotation by the end of the season.
Due to the decline in market value, Drummond had to accept a base salary contract from the Philadelphia 76ers last offseason, but he proved once again that he could be the starting center of the league's strongest team in the 76ers and later the Nets. The 28-year-old has averaged 7.9 points and 9.3 rebounds per game this season, especially in 24 games with the Nets, drummond averaged 11.8 points and 10.3 rebounds per game, shooting 61 percent from the field.
Drummond became the rebounding champion of the season four times in 2016-2020, and although he can still be a key player for a team, especially when it comes to rebounding, as the league's style of play has become more and more outfield and projection inside. In the short time of the Nets this season, the 2.08-meter-tall center accepted his role as a rebounder, no longer as many times as required to touch the ball under the basket during his past playing for the Pistons and Cavaliers, so his market in this offseason can be said to be quite broad.
Although Drummond is unlikely to get a star-level contract again, he is by no means a player who can be sent off on a basic salary contract, so what does his market value look like? Once the free agent market opens, what salary-level contract should he get?
There were few centers in the free agent market this offseason, which is why it's hard for the Nets to sign drummond back. The best center in the free agent market is Yusuf Nurkic of the Portland Trail Blazers, but he is a restricted free agent, the Blazers can be said to be determined for him, and the next few DeAndre Ayton (Phoenix Suns) and Mo Bamba (Orlando Magic) are also restricted free agents, and the parent team will sign them back unsurprisingly. And in addition to the three of them, the next most eye-catching name is Drummond.
But while there's a lack of centers in the free agent market, the problem is that there aren't many teams in the league that demand new centers, so if Drummond doesn't sign a new contract within a day or two of free agency opening, it could eventually make Drummond's value drop a little, but the Nets also can't take him with just one base salary, so keeping Drummond means that the Nets need to pay more luxury taxes for it.
The Nets don't have any bird rights to Drummond, and their total guaranteed contract salary next season has already exceeded the luxury tax trigger line, so the most the Nets can offer Drummond is a taxpayer-middle-class exception, in other words, if the Nets want, they can offer Drummond a one-year contract worth $6.3 million, or a two-year contract worth a total of $12 million, but is this Drummond's psychological price?
Since joining the Nets, Drummond has averaged two double-doubles per game, on par with those of Clint Capela (Atlanta Hawks), Steven Adams (Memphis Grizzlies) and Jacob Bortel (San Antonio Spurs). Capela has averaged 11.1 points and 11.9 rebounds this season and an average annual contract salary of $18 million; Adams has averaged 6.9 points and 10 rebounds per game with an average annual contract salary of $17.5 million; And Bortel has averaged 13.5 points and 9.3 rebounds per game, with the lowest average annual salary of only $8.75 million.
Referring to the contract situation of these three people, Xiaobian feels that Drummond's value in the free agent market may not reach the level of Capela and Ya's 15 million to 18 million US dollars at that time, but it is probably not lower than Bortel's annual salary, Xiaobian feels that he may ask for a higher value, which is definitely beyond the nets' affordability, so the Nets basically have no possibility of signing him back.
Considering Drummond's value and stats on the court, a three-year contract worth $30 million to $35 million seems reasonable, but the contract is far beyond the Nets' salary range. And just about a month ago, the former All-Star center was asked about his future at the Nets, he didn't hide his true thoughts at the time, he didn't care at all whether his answers would affect the team's unity and the locker room atmosphere, giving a big honest answer: "If we all tell the truth, I'll just stay here until the end of the season, but who knows what will happen in the offseason?" ”
While anything can happen in the offseason and the Nets are likely to use taxpayer middle-class exceptions to keep Drummond, for now, Drummond seems willing to seek any other opportunity that might arise, and he has little affection for the team.