Report: J.B. Bickerstaff reveals ‘positive’ conversations with Andre Drummond about future with Cavs

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff revealed his conversations with Andre Drummond regarding the center’s future with the team.

Drummond, who was acquired at the trade deadline this past season, reportedly is now far apart on a contract extension with the team.

He has a player option for the 2020-21 season, but beyond that, the center’s future with the Cavs is looking murky.

“I have not asked him, ‘Hey man, are you opting in or opting out?’ But the conversations we’ve had have been positive,” Bickerstaff told Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor. “Indirectly those conversations have been about the future, what next year is going to look like, how he wants to be part of the team and how we can use him effectively and all those things. He’s going to make his choice known whenever he’s going to make his choice known. I know he’s made public comments. We’ve had no conversations about him not being here and we’ve been planning for the future with him.”

The Cavs certainly would like to pair Drummond with Larry Nance Jr. and Kevin Love in their frontcourt next season and beyond.

Losing Drummond would be a tough pill to swallow, as he appeared in just eight games with the team before the 2019-20 season was suspended due to COVID-19.

Since the Cavs were not included in the league’s restart, the team has not played in a game since March.

In his eight appearances (all starts), Drummond averaged 17.5 points and 11.1 rebounds per game for the Cavs.