The Los Angeles Lakers announced on Sunday that they’ve signed center Andre Drummond to a contract. Drummond, who is a two-time All-Star, will remain with the Lakers until the end of the 2020-21 season.
Drummond spent the first part of the season with the Cleveland Cavaliers, who tried to trade him in recent weeks. However, the 27-year-old star’s big contract, which was paying him $27.9 million, made his market almost non-existent and forced the Cavs to take the contract buyout agreement route.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Drummond came to LA after the Lakers coaching staff and players made a significant effort in recruiting him. He was reportedly promised an important role on the team and will most likely be their new starting center.
Lakers head coach Frank Vogel already expressed his excitement with Drummond’s arrival, calling him “one of the best centers in the league.”
“I think he’s going to give us a big lift in the immediate future, and then obviously when we get going,” Vogel told reporters after the Lakers’ 96-93 win over the Orlando Magic on Sunday night. “He can dominate the game on both sides of the ball. His physicality is something you have to account for.”
Drummond has been enjoying a great start of the season in a Cavs jersey, averaging 17.5 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game. Despite this, Cleveland decided to move him out of their lineup in early February in order to give more playing time to Jarrett Allen, whom they see as their center of the future.
Andre Drummond was drafted into the NBA by the Detroit Pistons with the No. 9 pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. Besides the two All-Star nods, Drummond also had one All-NBA Third Team selection and was a four-time NBA leader in rebounds during his time in Detroit.
