The Philadelphia 76ers have a lot of talent on their roster, although as everyone knows, that is definitely not enough for them to get back to championship contention given all the attendant red flags and question marks surrounding the team from ceaseless bouts with the injury bugs, the threat of steep declines from key players, and unaddressed lineup issues.
Perhaps the most emblematic of what is wrong with the 76ers is the continued presence of Andre Drummond on the team. The 76ers have four (or five, counting Dominick Barlow) players who can play the center position for long stretches, yet the former All-Star, who did everything except to make a meaningful impact on the squad last season, is still on the roster. Go figure.
Drummond had a larger role than initially envisioned last season thanks to the frustrating injury situation with Embiid cudgeling the coaching staff into giving the former a major role, and boy did he not not make the most of those opportunities.
His raw numbers and advanced metrics all looked bad on both ends, and there was just a growing sentiment among the fanbase that the front office’s belief that it pulled off a bargain after signing him to a two-year deal last summer may have actually been a heist to their discredit.
The 76ers should absolutely trade Andre Drummond next season
Philly now has some real, albeit flawed, options to man the center position to relieve Embiid and start in some games. Adem Bona, while still lacking discipline in key aspects of the game, offers a breath of fresh air with his raw athleticism. There is also rookie big man Johni Broome, whose offensive game transcends both Bona and Drummond.
The point is that the 76ers have the luxury of having a choice, unlike last season. And in light of that fact, the clock should already be ticking on Drummond’s second go-round in Philly.
The veteran center is still a huge force to be reckoned with when it comes to rebounding, and that could prove to be a very attractive motif for playoff teams that can afford to absorb the resultant risks of having him on the roster, which are definitely fixable (just not with the 76ers).
Even better, Drummond is on an expiring deal anyway, making him a good target for win-now teams looking to fortify their presence in the interior.
There is no reason for the Philadelphia 76ers to keep holding onto Andre Drummond, that’s for sure. It’s simply time to move onto younger options to man such a critical role.