Cleveland Cavaliers’ Andre Drummond is a big part of the franchise future according to the team’s coach J.B Bickerstaff. The Cavs power forward, Andre Drummond, has a $28.7 million player option for the 2020-21 season.

According to the coach, he hasn’t had a personal discussion with the player on his future, but irrespective the player is a big part of the franchise bigger picture for the long term.

“I have not asked him, ‘Hey man, are you opting in or opting out?’ But the conversations we’ve had have been positive. 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,  We’ve had no conversations about him not being here, and we’ve been planning for the future with him.” Bickerstaff said.

Reports emerged last week that both parties, Drummond and the Cavs, were “far apart” regarding a contract extension. Drummond was traded in from Detroit and he averaged 17.5 points and 11.1 rebounds a game for the Cavaliers in eight games.

27-year-old Andre Drummond was chosen by the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the 2012 NBA draft with the ninth overall pick, and was part of the 2014 US national team that won trophy at the FIBA Basketball World Cup.

The Cavs failed to make it into the NBA Bubble which started on 31st of July with 22 teams as the LA Lakers won the NBA Championship against the Miami Heat.

Meanwhile, former Indiana Pacers’ player Kevin Seraphin has retired from Basketball. The 30-year-old made the announcement over the weekend and cited injury problems as the reason for quitting the game.

Kevin was inactive for the 2019-2020 season due to a knee injury he sustained while with Barcelona, the team he joined from the Pacers in 2017.

He was 17th pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, and also played in the NBA for seven seasons with the Washington Wizards and New York Knicks.

Written by: Daniel Ademiju Idowu