Detroit Pistons head coach Dwane Casey says All-Star center Andre Drummond knows “how important he is to our program.”
Casey expects a big season from Drummond, who will make $27.1 million in 2019-20 and has a player option worth $28.8 million for the 2020-21 campaign.
All signs point toward the Pistons big man declining that player option so he can make more money on the open market.
“Andre understands and knows who he is, what he means to us, how important he is to our program, where he is in his career, where he stands in the league,” Casey told James L. Edwards III of The Athletic.
“I try to stay out of the contract part of it. I’m there for him. My thing is, I want every one of our players to be rewarded, but the only way you’re rewarded in this league is by winning. I look back to Toronto and see Kyle Lowry with $100 million or whatever it was. That’s the same conversation I had with (Lowry). I hope that (Drummond) gets every penny that is coming to him, but the only way we accomplish that together is through winning. … That’s the basics of contract talks. I don’t get into that other stuff.”
Last season, Andre Drummond averaged 17.3 points and 15.6 rebounds for the Pistons while shooting 53.3 percent from the field. He recorded 69 double-doubles and helped Detroit make the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
Drummond has career averages of 14.1 points and 13.7 rebounds with the Pistons in 542 games. For Detroit to win a playoff series this upcoming season, it needs Drummond, Blake Griffin, Reggie Jackson and Derrick Rose to play at a high-level once the postseason begins.
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