The Chicago Bulls entered this offseason with two main goals. The first was re-signing Zach LaVine to a max deal, which as of Thursday night was still widely expected to happen but had yet to become official. The second was upgrading their frontcourt rotation, as they reportedly coveted a defensive upgrade at center if possible, but at the very least needed to add size and depth at the five spot.
While rumors surrounding Rudy Gobert had gone quiet by the start of free agency, the Bulls moved forward with finding quality depth at a low price, agreeing to a two-year deal with Andre Drummond for $6.6 million.
Free agent center Andre Drummond is finalizing a deal with the Chicago Bulls, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2022
Free agent center Andre Drummond has agreed to a two-year, $6.6M deal with the Chicago Bulls, sources tell ESPN. The second year is a player option.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022
Drummond averaged 7.9 points and 9.3 rebounds per game on 57 percent shooting (52.4 percent from the free throw line) last season, splitting time between Philadelphia and Brooklyn. While he’s not the force he once was in Detroit, Drummond still provides value on the glass and as a capable play-finisher, and at this price there’s certainly some value for Chicago in adding him to the rotation. We’ll find out in the coming weeks if Chicago still has designs on a bigger trade for Gobert or someone else, but in the meantime the Drummond addition is solid. The next piece of the puzzle for the Bulls will be finding out if Danilo Gallinari will be joining them or Boston on the mid-level, as they look to further solidify their forward rotation.