Sources: Drummond to Knicks after Robinson exit
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- Andre Drummond agreed to a one-year, $3.9 million deal with the Knicks on Friday per ESPN's Shams Charania, stepping in as the backup center behind Karl-Anthony Towns.
- Mitchell Robinson exited for Boston on a three-year, $47.4 million contract, a departure Knicks chairman James Dolan tied to his refusal to push the team into the luxury tax second apron.
- Drummond takes over the role Robinson held, with the source calling Robinson's offensive rebounding and defense integral to New York's NBA championship run.
- Drummond led the NBA in offensive rebounds per game for seven straight seasons in Detroit and paced the league in total rebounding four times (2015-16 and 2017-2020), echoing the board profile the Knicks valued in Robinson.
- Drummond spent the past two seasons backing up Joel Embiid in Philadelphia, averaging 6.8 points and 8.2 rebounds in 19.2 minutes across 103 games (48 starts).
- A two-time All-Star, Drummond owns career averages of 12.1 points and 11.9 rebounds over 14 NBA seasons, with his 2017-18 peak producing 15 points, 16 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.6 blocks and 1.5 steals per game.
Why it matters: The Knicks absorbed Robinson's departure into a backup-center package costing roughly $3.9 million for one year rather than the $47.4 million, three-year commitment Robinson found elsewhere, preserving the cap flexibility Dolan prioritized over entering the luxury tax second apron. Drummond's seven-year run as the league's top offensive rebounder points to the specific skill — second-chance points and glass cleaning — New York is counting on to keep its championship formula intact on a budget.
