Why an Andre Drummond Move Could Hurt More Than Help the Nets’ Frontcourt

There was once a time that Andre Drummond was a welcome addition to the Brooklyn Nets when he was included in the 2022 James Harden trade that also brought Ben Simmons to Kings County. That's no longer the case, as the Nets' roster and overall pecking order in the Eastern Conference have changed quite a bit nearly four years later.

Still, apparently, Brooklyn could look to reunite with Drummond via a salary dump, helping the Philadelphia 76ers get out of cap hell.

"The Sixers are currently below the luxury tax but will go above it after Grimes’ situation is resolved. They could look to move both Kelly Oubre Jr. and Andre Drummond to get under the tax," cap expert Yossi Gozlan wrote on Sept. 4.

At first glance, that means nothing to Brooklyn. There was no mention of the Nets. At least, not until NetsDaily got involved.

"Andre Drummond is one possibility for a salary dump, two sources tell us. Losing his $5M expiring would help 76ers get some relief under CBA," NetsDaily posted to X on Monday.

So now we have more clarity. The franchise is clearly still prowling for compensation in salary dump deals, and may believe that Philadelphia could make it worth its while to bring Drummond back to Brooklyn. That's a totally understandable standpoint from the Nets' front office's point of view.

But from a personnel standpoint, adding Drummond into the mix with no plans of rerouting him would be doing a major disservice to the current roster. Not only does Brooklyn already have Nic Claxton and Day'Ron Sharpe locked in to man the middle in 2025-26, but there are also other players—who need to see the floor—that could get opportunities at the five.

Guys like Drew Timme, Danny Wolf and Fanbo Zeng deserve the chance to prove they belong, and potentially have a shot at becoming a major player in the team's rebuild going forward. Drummond is better suited on a contender, chasing the ever-elusive ring his career accomplishments deserve.

That said, will Brooklyn bite if Philadelphia dangles a couple of second-rounders right in front of it? It's quite likely. But if that does prove to be the case, the Nets better have a plan in place in hopes of preventing the stunting of growth from their younger pieces.

Maybe that comes by way of a buyout or another trade where Brooklyn agrees to pay part of Drummond's salary. That's for Sean Marks to figure out. The one thing that seems obvious is Drummond cannot be getting minutes on this Nets team in 2025.