Los Angeles Lakers sign Andre Drummond
The Los Angeles Lakers have signed center Andre Drummond it was announced by Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Rob Pelinka.
This will be Drummond's second stint with the Lakers having signed and played with them during the 2020-2021 season.
Drummond played last season with the Chicago Bulls, averaging 8.9 points, 8.0 rebounds in 17.5 minutes per game and also had the fifth best field goal percentage in the league at 55.6% (312-of-561).
Drummond was selected by the Detroit Pistons with the ninth overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. In his rookie season, Drummond averaged 7.9 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 1.6 blocks in 20.7 minutes per game. He was named to the 2012-13 NBA All-Rookie Second Team and finished fourth in the NBA Rookie of the Year voting.
In the 2013-14 season, Drummond recorded a career-high 20 rebounds against the New Orleans Pelicans. On February 14, Drummond scored 30 points and grabbed an NBA Rising Stars Challenge record 25 rebounds, and was named MVP of the event. Against the New York Knicks on March 3, 2014, Drummond recorded a then career-high 26 rebounds in a victory.
In the 2014-15 season, Drummond recorded his fourth 20-point, 20-rebound game over the previous two seasons, the most in the NBA in that time span.
In the 2015-16 season, Drummond was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week, becoming the first Piston to win the award since Rodney Stuckey did so in December 2009 as he helped the Pistons to start the season with a 3-0 record, for the first time since the 2008-09 season. Drummond recorded a career-high 29 rebounds against the Pacers on November 3, 2015. On November 8, he recorded 29 points and 27 rebounds, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain as the only players with three 20/20 games in the first six games of a season which earned him Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the second time in his career. On January 20, 2016, Drummond set an NBA record for most free throws missed in a game with 23, surpassing the previous record of 22 set by Wilt Chamberlain. He also set a career high and franchise record by attempting 36 free throws. Drummond was selected as a reserve for the Eastern Conference in the 2016 NBA All-Star Game. He also participated in the Slam Dunk Contest during NBA All-Star Saturday Night.
Drummond re-signed with the Pistons on a five-year, $130 million contract. He recorded his tenth 20 point / 20 rebound game of his career against the Milwaukee Bucks with 20 points and 23 rebounds. He became the second-youngest player to reach 4,000 career rebounds, trailing only Dwight Howard. On January 30, 2018, Drummond was named to his second All-Star Game, replacing John Wall who was injured.
Drummond was traded on February 6, 2020 to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Brandon Knight, John Henson, and a 2023 second-round draft pick. Drummond and the Cavaliers reached a buy-out agreement on March 26, 2021.
Two days later, Drummond signed a 1-year contract with the Lakers. With the Lakers, he played 21 games-all starts-and averaged 11.9 points, 10.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 24 minutes per game. Despite being healthy, he did not play in Game 6 in the first round of the playoffs against the Phoenix Suns when the Lakers were eliminated 4-2.
In the 2021-2022 season, Drummond signed a 1-year contract worth $2.4 million veteran's minimum contract with the Philadelphia 76ers. On February 10, 2022, Drummond was traded along with Ben Simmons, Seth Curry and two future first-round picks, to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for James Harden and Paul Millsap.
In the 2022-23 season, Drummond signed a two-year, $6.6 million contract with the Chicago Bulls.
On June 29, 2023, Drummond exercised his player option with the Chicago Bulls.
