Andre Drummond on Signing with Lakers: 'It Was a Chance to Start Over'

After years of languishing on lottery teams in Detroit and Cleveland, Andre Drummond says his decision to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers was a chance to "be part of something bigger than me."

“It was a chance to start over again,” Drummond told Mirin Fader of The Ringer. “I owed it to myself to be part of something bigger than me. To be part of a team that has a chance to win. And I believe that the Lakers can do that.”

Drummond made the playoffs only twice in his first eight NBA seasons, getting swept in both 2016 and 2019. The Lakers seemingly offered a chance at competing for a championship alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but they are no postseason lock themselves after finding themselves in the play-in amid an injury-ravaged regular season.

A still-hobbled James and Davis lead the Lakers into a play-in matchup Wednesday night against the Golden State Warriors. Drummond may play a significant role in their strategy, with his size giving the Lakers a matchup advantage against the smaller Warriors.

A two-time All-Star in Detroit, Drummond has averaged 11.9 points, 10.2 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 21 games with the Lakers. 

James, Davis and Drummond played only 74 regular-season minutes together because of injuries to the two Lakers stars. The Lakers outscored their opponents by 1.8 points per 100 possessions during that limited sample.

It's likely Drummond's postseason role will be matchup dependent. Davis will play far more often at center during the playoffs than he did during the regular season, and it's possible Drummond will also lose time to Marc Gasol when the Lakers prefer better spacing.

The Lakers outscored opponents by 13.4 points per 100 possessions with James, Davis and Gasol on the floor.