The NBA offseason is in full swing with free agency set to begin on Friday.
Many players with player options in their contracts are deciding what they want to do.
Like most NBA offseasons, you should get ready to expect the unexpected.
One player rumored to be changing teams was Chicago Bulls center Andre Drummond.
He had serious interest from the Dallas Mavericks and looked perfect for their system.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski, Drummond has exercised his $3.36 million option and will remain in Chicago.
Andre Drummond has exercised his $3.36M option to return to the Chicago Bulls, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2023
This move came as a surprise to many fans around the league.
Especially the fans of the teams who are in the market for a big man.
Drummond is the prototypical backup center in the NBA.
He is a great rebounder and can be disruptive around the rim.
But, he is not much of an offensive threat which is why his value is so low.
Signing back with the Bulls means Chicago has their center rotation figured out.
They just gave Nikola Vucevic a three-year, $60 million deal.
So Drummond will once again be his backup next season.
With Drummond off the board, the list of free-agent centers does not look strong.
That could lead to a team possibly trading for Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton.
Even though Phoenix has said they want to keep Ayton, his contract makes it difficult.
The Suns need money to sign some decent bench players and getting rid of Ayton’s contract can help with that.
This Drummond news was surprising on the eve of free agency.
It will be interesting to see which teams make a big splash to acquire a big man.
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