1) Best free agent centers: Andre Drummond
Andre Drummond has a player option for the 2020-21 season that would pay him over $28 million. If he decides to opt-out, he would immediately become one of the top free agent centers.
Contract: The 26-year-old will have to weigh the benefits of hitting the market during a pandemic when teams are strapped for cash versus opting-IN to his final year and waiting until next offseason to cash in on a big deal. If Drummond is searching for long-term security, perhaps he is willing to take a smaller annual salary to lock himself into a deal for several seasons. He won’t opt-out unless he feels confident he can sign a multi-year deal starting around $20 million.
Game: The 26-year-old is not what you would necessarily call a “modern” big in terms of his ability to shoot from long-distance, but he does pretty much everything else well. He is a prolific rebounder, an above average passer, and provides shot-blocking ability near the rim.
Drummond is going to always put up impressive double-double stats—think Enes Kanter with defensive abilities. Whether his style of play translates to winning basketball in today’s game is hard to say.
Fit: For the Knicks, Drummond doesn’t make much sense as a free agent target. The team is trying to build around young stud Mitchell Robinson, who could use a forward in the lineup next to him who complements his game with spacing. Drummond is not that.
The 26-year-old was traded by Detroit to Cleveland last season, which opened the door for his ex-teammate Christian Wood to shine with the Pistons (Note: We will discuss Wood as a power forward in a future preview piece).