Getty Head coach Billy Donovan of the Chicago Bulls reacts after a play.
The latest trade rumor surrounding the Chicago Bulls has the team shopping reliable backup center Andre Drummond.
Longtime NBA insider Marc Stein, who is both well-respected and well-sourced, thinks the veteran big man could be on the move soon.
“Do not be surprised, league sources say, if the Bulls move former All-Star center Andre Drummond before the Feb. 9 trade,” Stein wrote on January 27, adding: “Drummond has been allotted fewer than 15 minutes in each of Chicago’s past 12 games.”
Drummond, who is a four-time NBA rebound champion, has seen his playing time decline steadily this season. He averaged 16.8 minutes in October, 14.3 minutes a game in November, 12.9 minutes in December and is currently averaging just 8.4 minutes a game in January, which is almost over.
Will the 29-year-old center be a goner by February 9?
Andre Drummond Has Been Solid & Efficient Contributor for Bulls
Drummond inked a two-year, $6.6 million contract with the Bulls in July of 2022, and so far, he has been used in a reserve role only. He’s currently averaging 6.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, 0.6 assists and 0.6 steals in 13.0 minutes of action. His numbers aren’t huge, but he has been incredibly efficient at times.
Back on December 11 against the Atlanta Hawks, Drummond played 14 minutes off the bench and finished with 14 points, nine rebounds and a season-high five steals. He became the first player in NBA history to score a minimum of 14 points, haul in nine rebounds and grab five steals in less than 20 minutes played, according to Basketball Reference.
On January 7 against the Utah Jazz, Drummond played 12 minutes and scored 11 points while also hauling in four boards and nabbing one steal. He’s not a top center by any means, but he can still be a difference-maker.
Drummond cleaning up!
Bulls May Decide to Be Sellers After Recent Slide
Drummond has played for six teams over his 11 seasons in the league, and he has been no stranger to being traded. “I’ve been a part of a lot of trade deadlines — 11 years straight,” Drummond said on January 7, per USA Today. “Any time a coach calls practice off, you know something’s about to happen.”
The Bulls (22-26 at the time of publication) have lost two straight games in a critical stretch to teams they should have handily beaten (the Indiana Pacers and Charlotte Hornets). Chicago is now tied for 10th place in the East with the Washington Wizards, who own the tiebreaker if it comes to that. If the Bulls continue to lose, the odds of them being sellers should increase.
Drummond was last traded nearly a year ago, in February of 2022, when the Philadelphia 76ers shipped him to Brooklyn as part of the James Harden trade. “Yeah, I definitely was blindsided by it,” Drummond told USA Today about being traded to the Nets last year. “I didn’t think I would be involved in it, but things happen and here we are.”
It remains to be seen whether Drummond will be on the move again, but based on what Bulls vice president Artūras Karnišovas said heading into the season, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see several players heading elsewhere before February 9th comes and goes.
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