Andre Drummond
Andre Drummond is unmindful of NBA trade talk and prefers to just play basketball for the Detroit Pistons. Andre Drummond #0 of the Detroit Pistons tries to get around the defense of Derrick Favors #15 of the Utah Jazz during the first half at Little Caesars Arena on January 05, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. Getty Images/Gregory Shamus

Andre Drummond has been occasionally mentioned in NBA trade talks and the 9th pick of the 2012 NBA Draft has grown accustomed to it. While he admits that each time the trade deadline or offseason is near, word about a potential blockbuster deal bothers him in a certain kind of way.

Just last month, Drummond was mentioned in a potential NBA trade involving the Sacrament Kings. The Pistons were offered Willie Cauley-Stein and Arron Afflalo in exchange for the 6-foot-11 center, the Bleacher Report reported.

Nothing came to fruition and Drummond remains with the Pistons. And while people close to the two-time NBA All-Star have made fun of him surviving yet another potential trade talk, he says that he was not expecting to be dealt and that he takes all trade rumors in stride.

“It’s become a joke around my house now,” Drummond said to the Detroit Free Press. “My mom and sister both make fun of me now. Well, it looks like you’re on trade block again. Where we going this year?"

Of course, the final say will not be on Drummond. He is aware that anything can happen moving forward, the business part of an NBA player. Regardless, he is there to play for the Pistons and help the franchise win and succeed.

Curiously, Drummond is nearing the end of his five-year deal worth $127.1 million with the Pistons. The 25-year-old is due to make $27.1 million next season and will have a player option come the 2020-21 NBA season worth $28.8 million. He is eligible for a contract extension this coming July.

From the looks of it, the former product of the Connecticut Huskies seems pretty content playing for the Motor City squad. And unless the Pistons get a hard-to-resist deal, he could get his wish and stay there. Until he decides to retire?

That may be pretty hard to answer for now with Drummond only at 25. Also, the fact that he has proven to be one of the quiet but talented big men in the market, there is no denying that there will be NBA teams who will pursue him moving forward.

For now, all Andre wants is to enjoy the ride.

“This is probably the best run that we’ve had in my career,” Drummond said. “We’re having a lot of fun while we do it. We tricked off the two months of December and January when we could have made a real push so now we’re digging ourselves out of a hole and we’re doing a really good job of playing hard every night and doing the necessary things to get wins.”

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