3 reasons the Detroit Pistons shouldn’t trade Andre Drummond
2. He’s young, durable and good
Ok, so this is really three reasons. Drummond is only 26 years old, so even if the Pistons want to kickstart a youth movement, there is no reason Drummond can’t be part of it. His timeline still fits well with Luke Kennard and Sekou Doumbouya and he would only be 31 at the end of a new contract, hardly ancient and still likely at the tail end of his peak. The Pistons would be getting Drummond’s best years at decent value.
analysis. How Luke Kennard stacks up with JJ Redick and Kyle Korver. light
I once heard that “the best ability is availability,” and Drummond is almost always available. Drummond has played in at least 79 games in all but his rookie season, making him an ironman for his position. While most of his big man peers have missed significant time or even whole seasons, Drummond continues to lace them up game after game, which is not a small thing considering the Pistons’ injury woes over the last few seasons.
Lost in all of the trade talk is that Drummond is quietly having an All-NBA-type season. In addition to the aforementioned points and rebounds, Drummond is averaging 2.7 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.9 blocks per game. He’s improved on both ends of the floor and there is no reason to think this won’t continue. Drummond doesn’t shoot three’s and can’t spread the floor, but he does most everything else very well. Drummond could absolutely be the second or third best player on a contender. If the Pistons can add some young talent around him, and make a big splash in the 2021 free agent market, then keeping Drummond may be the fastest way to rebuild.