The 2024-25 season was a disastrous year for the Philadelphia 76ers. Former league MVP Joel Embiid played just 19 games due to injury. 

He was not the only Sixer to miss extended time due to injury last season. Tyrese Maxey missed 30 games, and Paul George missed 40 games. Despite their unfortunate luck in 2024-25, the 76ers are running back the core of their team. On Friday, ESPN’s NBA insider Shams Charania reported that veteran big man Andre Drummond has picked up his $5 million player option. Drummond will play for the Sixers in 2025-26.

Andre Drummond has exercised his $5 million player option to remain with the 76ers

Philadelphia 76ers center Andre Drummond has picked up his $5 million player option for the 2025-26 season, sources tell ESPN.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 27, 2025

With the ninth pick in the 2012 NBA draft, the Detroit Pistons selected Andre Drummond out of UConn. He played the first eight and a half seasons of his career with Detroit. They traded him in 2019-20 to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Since then, Drummond has bounced around the league playing for five franchises. Ahead of the 2024-25 season, Drummond signed a two-year, $10 million deal with the Philadelphia 76ers.

The second season of that two-year deal was a $5 million player option. Shams Charania announced Friday that Andre Drummond will exercise that $5 million option to stay with the Sixers. Last season, Drummond played in 40 of their 82 games and made 23 starts. By the end of 2024-25, the Sixers were tanking, and veteran players did not see the court. Drummond was one of them.

In 2025-26, the Sixers hope Andre Drummond is used sparingly. That would mean 2022-23 league MVP Joel Embiid is healthy enough to play a majority of the year for Philadelphia. Drummond will be entering his 14th professional season and his second with the 76ers. Last season, the veteran big man averaged 7.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.0 steals per game. For the production he can still give the team, Andre Drummond is well worth his $5 million price tag next season.

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