Andre Drummond‘s tenure with the Philadelphia 76ers could be coming to an end. The veteran big man recently exercised his player option for the 2025-26 season. However, according to Tony Jones of The Athletic, the Sixers have been exploring his trade market over the last 24 hours.
“If I were a Philly Sixers fan, I would be looking out for Andre Drummond,” Jones posted on X. “The Sixers have been trying to move him over the last 24 hours. Let’s see if they get it done.”
Drummond, 31, played in 40 games for Nick Nurse’s team last season. However, his defensive limitations, plus his old-school skill set, mean he’s a likely trade candidate. Of course, finding a willing trade partner is never easy, especially if Drummond is expecting legitimate minutes this season.
Philadelphia could be attempting to move Drummond in an effort to try and retain both Guerschon Yabusele and Quentin Grimes. Eric Gordon has already opted out of his contract to become a free agent. The front office could look to trade away Kelly Oubre Jr., who also recently picked up his player option.
Right now, there are a lot of moving parts in Philadelphia. The roster could undergo some changes between now and the start of the season.
Quentin Grimes Could Cost North of $16 Million
According to Marc Stein, via a June 29 edition of his “Stein Line” newsletter, Grimes is expected to earn a salary “of at least” $16 million on his next contract.
“The early rumbles out of Philadelphia on Quentin Grimes’ expected new deal: The restricted free agent is projected to land a starting salary of at least $16 million after his monster March,” Stein reported.
Daryl Morey will undoubtedly prioritize retaining Grimes in the coming weeks. He was exceptional for the Sixers after joining midway through the season. Grimes played in 28 games for the Sixers. He averaged 21.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists. He shot 37.3% from 3-point range and 46.9% from the field.
Sixers Face Battle to Keep Yabusele
In a recent report from Marc Stein and Jake Fischer, it was revealed that the Sixers could struggle to retain Yabusele.
“With a trio of Sixers veterans — Kelly Oubre Jr., Andre Drummond and Eric Gordon — all expected to soon activate the player options in their respective contracts for next season, it looks as though it will be increasingly challenging for Philadelphia to re-sign beloved big man Guerschon Yabusele,” The duo reported. “The former first-round pick from France, who played last season on a minimum deal, is projected to have a strong market in free agency.”
By trading both Drummond and Oubre, the Sixers could put themselves in a favorable position to keep their two free agents. However, it’s unclear how much salary they would need to take back in either trade.
Nevertheless, Drummond’s tenure in Philadelphia could be coming to an end. And while he’s still good enough to make an impact on an NBA roster, finding a willing trade partner could prove difficult. Morey has multiple issues to iron out over the summer. Now, it would appear that the future of Drummond and Oubre has been added to that list.
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