Andre Drummond picking up his option remains ‘most likely’ option

Odds are, Andre Drummond will be with the Cavs for at least next year.

As reported by cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor, Drummond picking up his player option for the 2020-21 season — worth $28.7 million — is the “most likely” option. If he were to decline the option, Drummond would be free age wnt next summer. If he picks up the option, he’ll be a free agent come 2021.

For Drummond, picking up the option makes a ton of sense. The NBA’s salary cap for the next year is likely to be impacted by games lost due to the coronavirus pandemic. Plus, there isn’t expected to be much money available this summer. It makes a ton of sense for him to wait a year and seek out a big contract after the dust settles on Giannis Antetokounmpo’s expected spot atop the 2021 free agent class.

For the Cavs, Drummond opting in means that the won’t have cap space to work with this summer beyond their midlevel exception. It also gives them another year — and a full year instead of aa partial season — to see how Drummond fits with the team and if they want to be the team that commits to him. They also could flip him against at the deadline next year if the fit isn’t good and they want to get something in return.

Per Fedor, and corroborated by sources to Fear the Sword, the Cavs were given no assurances about Drummond’s future when they acquired him and that he was likely to pick up his player option. Events outside of basketball have only made that more likely and assuredly extends the Drummond-Cavs partnership for a little while longer.