The Detroit Pistons are locking up restricted free agent center Andre Drummond to a five-year deal reportedly worth roughly $130 million.
Andre Drummond and the Detroit Pistons are nearing agreement on a five-year max deal in the $130 million range, league sources tell ESPN
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) July 1, 2016
Sources say Drummond and Detroit, like Bradley Beal and Washington, are on the brink of a deal and on course to finalize terms later Friday
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) July 1, 2016
Drummond, 22, averaged 16.2 points and an NBA-leading 14.8 rebounds for the Pistons last season.
Detroit had the right to match any other’s team offer for the All-Star.
Per the AP:
Stan Van Gundy is working on a deal to keep his big man in the middle.
His strength, size and throwback game certainly give the Pistons a different dimension in today’s small-ball NBA. […] He has fast become a cornerstone of what Van Gundy is trying to do in his Detroit rebuilding project.
Drummond’s scoring and rebounding averages have risen annually, and he was an All-Star for the first time this past season. The numbers he put up last season were the most robust by a Pistons big man since Bob Lanier in 1972-73. […] The only thing slowing Drummond down is a 35.5 percent free throw rate that causes Van Gundy to bench him late in games when opponents foul him on purpose to put him on the line.
Keep up with the latest signings during the July free-agency period by following our 2016 NBA Free Agent Tracker.
