3 reasons the Detroit Pistons shouldn’t trade Andre Drummond

Andre Drummond is at the center of trade rumors that the Detroit Pistons will move him. Here are three reasons why the Pistons should keep him in Detroit.

Detroit Pistons’ big man Andre Drummond has been a polarizing figure since he entered the league in 2012. Fans have debated his lack of offensive game, his motor and even whether rebounding is an important statistic in the modern NBA.

Drummond’s haters point to the lack of team success in his tenure, while his fans blame the front office for failing to provide him any help. The Drummond controversy reached a peak last week when ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Pistons were talking to the Atlanta Hawks and several other teams about Drummond.

Most fans seem resigned to the fact that Drummond won’t be a Piston much longer and are already looking towards a future without him. The Pistons are going nowhere, would be better off tanking and Drummond could walk for nothing, which are all compelling reasons for the Pistons and Drummond to part ways.

However, there are also some compelling reasons for signing Drummond to an extension. Here are three reasons the Detroit Pistons should not trade Drummond, at least not yet.

1. They won’t get much in return

Drummond is averaging career highs in both points (17.5) and rebounds (16.0) per game, which should make him a valuable commodity on the trade market, or in free agency, should he reach it. The problem is that Drummond is on the last year of his deal, which essentially makes him a rental unless he signs an extension before testing free agency. Drummond could also choose to opt-in to his player option at $28.8 million, a number many teams would not find palatable.

Fans who think Drummond is going to fetch a king’s ransom which the Pistons can use to rebuild will probably be disappointed. It’s unlikely that any of the teams interested in Drummond would be willing to give up a promising asset or high first round pick for what amounts to a few months of his services. Even the best deals they could offer really aren’t that great, and generally include the Pistons taking back a large expiring deal and a low first round pick.

The Pistons already have some young talent on the team, as well as in the G League and stashed overseas, so a first round draft pick in the high 20’s may not have much appeal. The best move would arguably be a sign-and-trade where the Pistons offer Drummond a five-year contract for $20-25 million per year, which would be a salary they could both afford and that would be more attractive to a trade partner in the future.

The Pistons may be afraid that Drummond will opt-in and surely don’t want to pay him $28.8 million next season, so re-signing him at a lower number would be good for Drummond and the long term prospects of the team.