According to reports, the Chicago Bulls withdrew from a trade that would have seen Andre Drummond join the Philadelphia 76ers.
The decision-makers in Chicago had a change of heart.
NICK RAGUZ21 HOURS AGO
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Chicago Bulls
CHICAGO BULLS
Andre Drummond of the Chicago Bulls is in the last year of a two-year contract that he signed in 2022, so it would have been wise for the team to let him go. The Bulls had an agreement in place that would have sent the big man to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for multiple draft picks, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. But at the last minute, the Bulls pulled out of the agreement.
Managing the 76ers was perfect.
The Sixers, who needed a center to replace Joel Embiid, who is still out indefinitely following surgery to repair a tear in his left knee’s lateral meniscus, saw the potential trade as a perfect fit.
In addition, trading Drummond would have prevented the Bulls from being left holding the bag should the backup big man decide to sign with another team this offseason. But the Chicago-Philadelphia trade never happened because it seems like the Bulls’ decision-makers had second thoughts.
According to Scotto, “the 76ers thought they had a deal completed to acquire Bulls center Andre Drummond before Chicago withdrew from negotiations hours before the deadline.”
Drummond was desired by the Bulls in three second-round picks, according to league sources. In the three-team Royce O’Neale trade, the Nets received three second-round picks.
What will happen next?
According to Scotto, Chicago received offers from the Dallas Mavericks and the Boston Celtics as well, but neither team’s agreements materialized. This raises the query: What will happen to Drummond and the Bulls next? Do the Bulls think they will be able to sign Drummond again in the offseason?
Though Drummond’s Chicago future is uncertain, his ability to make an impact on a game is not. With starting center Nikola Vucevic, the former rebounding champion is averaging 8.1 points and 8.6 rebounds per game, but he has been playing more recently.