Andre Drummond

Though he will be eligible for free agency this summer, the Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly hoping to bring back Andre Drummond.

On the The Lowe Post podcast (h/t Brad Sullivan of Lakers Daily) on Monday, ESPN's Dave McMenamin said the Lakers "have signaled to everyone listening" that Drummond is "part of the future moving forward with this franchise."

After receiving a buyout from the Cleveland Cavaliers, Drummond signed with the Lakers on March 28 to provide depth in their frontcourt.

Los Angeles doesn't have a lot of options at center for next season. Marc Gasol is the only player at the position under contract for 2021-22. His $2.7 million salary is certainly affordable, but he is 36 years old and best suited to be a part-time role player. 

There are other key roster decisions the Lakers will have to make during the offseason. Dennis Schroder is eligible for unrestricted free agency, and Montrezl Harrell has a $9.7 million player option for next season.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst (h/t Dan Feldman of NBC Sports) reported in March that Schroder had turned down a four-year, $84 million extension from the Lakers.

Drummond has been solid for the Lakers. The two-time All-Star averaged 11.9 points and 10.2 rebounds per game in 21 regular-season starts for the defending NBA champions.

Head coach Frank Vogel has continued to use Drummond in the starting lineup for the Lakers' first four playoff games against the Phoenix Suns. The UConn product had 15 points and 12 rebounds in Los Angeles' Game 2 win.

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. 

The Los Angeles Lakers began the 2020-21 NBA season as favorites in the Western Conference. They are the champions and had a strong offseason, making additions like Dennis Schroder, Marc Gasol and Montrezl Harrell.

Unfortunately, injuries can cut down the most talented of rosters, and they have done exactly that to the Lakers this season. With both Anthony Davis and LeBron James missing time, Los Angeles is in danger of missing a guaranteed playoff spot.

The Lakers reside in sixth place in the Western Conference and could fall into a spot in the play-in tournament.

The good news for the Lakers is that James was back on the court Friday. According to in-season acquisition Andre Drummond, James' return will immediately boost the team's playoff chances.

"He makes the game very easy for everybody," Drummond said, per Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times. "I feel like he sees everything. He's like a quarterback, so having him out there's been really fun — my first game being on the same side as him. It's definitely been a great learning experience for me, I'm looking forward to being on the court with him more to do better things."

The bad news is that the Lakers fell to the Sacramento Kings in James' return and can't count on having a healthy James down the stretch.

James, who suffered an ankle injury in March, isn't sure that he will be back to 100 percent this season—or perhaps ever.

"I knew I wasn't going to get back to 100 percent. It's impossible," James said, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. "I don't think I will ever get back to 100 percent in my career."

James was playing at an MVP level before the injury and has been remarkably durable throughout his career, but he's also 36. An injury two years ago sidelined James for an extended period and kept Los Angeles out of playoff contention.

Even with Davis on the roster, James' injury could derail the Lakers' playoff hopes. He remains the centerpiece of the roster and has felt the pressure of having to return before the playoffs.

"It's been urgency for me to get back ever since I got injured," James said, per McMenamin. "So that's just who I am. You guys could have seen the logging of the minutes and hours per day that I was doing as far as rehab and treatment. It was a lot more than I slept. So over the last six weeks, that's all I've been doing, is having an urgency to get back and play."

Now that James has made it back, the Lakers have hope. But time is running short for them to get back on track ahead of the postseason and for James to find a semblance of who he was pre-injury.

If James cannot be at 100 percent for the Lakers, a second successive championship may elude them. The roster is arguably better than it was a year ago, but James is still the engine that drives Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles Lakers snapped a three-game losing streak Monday with a 114-103 victory over the fledgling Orlando Magic, who have now dropped six in a row.

Dennis Schroder dropped 21 points for the Lakers, who improved to 36-25 and increased the distance between themselves and the sixth-seeded Dallas Mavericks.

For the 18-43 Magic, Chuma Okeke dropped 18 to lead the scoring. 

Notable Performers

• Dennis Schroder, Lakers: 21 PTS, 10 AST
• Montrezl Harrell, Lakers: 18 PTS, 5 REB, 3 STL
• Chuma Okeke, Magic: 18 PTS, 5 REB
• Cole Anthony, Magic:  15 PTS, 7 AST

Magic Put Up Fight After Slow Start

While the Lakers got out to a hot start, taking a 28-16 lead into the second frame, the Magic weren't so lucky.

Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times put it simply: 

Wendell Carter Jr. led the Magic with six points through the first quarter.

But it was a completely different ballgame in the second period. Chuma Okeke found his stride and headed into the half with 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting, highlighted by a poster dunk over Andre Drummond before the Magic came back from 16 points down to take the lead thanks to a major run—starting the quarter 5-of-5 in the paint—and a Robert Franks go-ahead three. 

They managed to keep the power going through the second quarter and entered the break up 56-50, bringing their field-goal percentage up to 48.8, equaling that of their opponents. 

Cole Anthony was the team's second-leading scorer at the half with nine points. 

The Magic let the Lakers stay within reach throughout the third, but they managed to keep it going. Okeke ended the quarter with 15 points, and Carter and Dwayne Bacon each recorded double digits in the frame in front of a balanced effort from the Orlando bench. 

The Magic let the Lakers get the lead back early in the fourth as Okeke and Harris—the most productive members of the squad—sat to rest. The starters returned as the Lakers led by six with under four minutes to go, but Orlando couldn't complete its impressive performance in the end. 

Lakers Recover From Mid-Game Slip  

Anthony Davis' return to the lineup from his calf injury had been somewhat unceremonious entering Monday, as the Lakers dropped two straight games to the Dallas Mavericks. 

Davis shot just 7-of-29 from the field through those two games, though he showed signs of life Saturday when he starred at the line and ended the game with 17 points. 

Things took a positive spin pregame against the Magic, when head coach Frank Vogel said Davis wouldn't be operating under any minutes restriction for the first time since his return. 

He helped the Lakers get off to a solid start, as he and Kyle Kuzma both posted six points each to help lead a balanced first-quarter effort by the defending champs. As a team, they shot 55 percent from the field in the opening 12 minutes and had just one turnover, credited to Davis. 

Things took a turn heading into the break.

The Lakers made seven turnovers in the second quarter, and the Magic took advantage, dropping 14 points on those recovered balls. Orlando also capitalized on calls in their favor, going 11-of-14 from the line. 

L.A. got outscored 40-22 in the second quarter. No Los Angeles player scored in double digits by the 24th minute. 

In the third, the Lakers got back in it as Andre Drummond logged a double-double halfway through. Davis, Kuzma and Montrezl Harrell also got into double-digit scoring in the third as the Lakers, who had slowed down their turnover rate after a tumultuous second quarter, continued to chase a calmer Magic squad.

Alex Caruso had a quieter night with seven points and two rebounds off of the bench, but he only logged 14 minutes before exiting early with back spasms. Without him, the Lakers still managed to pull back in front early in the first quarter and hold that lead until the end. 

While their early struggles were marked by a deficit from the line, another issue became apparent as the game wore on. After opening the game going 3-of-3 from deep, the Lakers finished with just 35.5 percent shooting from deep compared to 44 percent by Orlando. 

The Lakers let the little things go through the middle of Monday's game, playing sloppy and missing shots from deep, therefore allowing the Magic to move ahead. They got lucky in the end, shooting 74 percent in the fourth, but more consistency will be key through the remaining games if they want to stay out of the play-in tournament and make a deep run in the postseason. 

What's Next? 

The Magic will host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET. 

The Lakers will head north to face the Washington Wizards on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET. 

The lineups will surely look different if they face each other in the Western Conference playoffs, but the Utah Jazz avoided a mini two-game sweep at the hands of the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday.

After losing Saturday's matchup in overtime, Utah defeated Los Angeles 111-97 in the rematch at Staples Center. Jordan Clarkson, Mike Conley, Joe Ingles and Rudy Gobert led the way in the absence of Donovan Mitchell for the victors and helped them improve to 43-15 on the season.

Solid showing from Kyle Kuzma, Dennis Schroder and Talen Horton-Tucker were not enough for the 35-23 Lakers, who remained without LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

Notable Player Stats

• Mike Conley, G, UTA: 14 PTS, 10 AST, 2 REB
• Rudy Gobert, C, UTA: 14 PTS, 10 REB, 2 BLK
• Jordan Clarkson, G, UTA: 22 PTS, 3 REB
• Joe Ingles, G, UTA: 21 PTS, 5 AST, 4 REB
• Kyle Kuzma, F, LAL: 17 PTS, 3 AST, 2 REB
• Dennis Schroder, G, LAL: 15 PTS, 6 AST, 4 REB, 4 STL
• Talen Horton-Tucker, G, LAL: 24 PTS, 4 REB, 2 STL

Balanced Utah Attack Leads the Way in L.A.

While Utah was still without Mitchell and also didn't have Ersan Ilyasova, the return of Conley and Gobert provided a boost that was missing in Saturday's game.

Clarkson and Ingles were thrust into the spotlight in the previous matchup without those two to help share the scoring responsibilities in Mitchell's absence. Clarkson scored a team-high 27 points on a game-high 27 shots, while Ingles dished out 14 assists to go with his 20 points.

Even with the return of the two All-Stars, it was Clarkson once again who paced the Jazz in scoring as they built a double-digit lead by halftime. He provided an immediate spark off the bench and glided his way through the defense while creating a number of clean looks.

It wasn't just him, as supporting cast members Royce O'Neale and Bojan Bogdanovic were in double figures by intermission with Conley dishing out dimes and controlling the flow of the game.

The balanced offensive onslaught was at its best in the third quarter as the Jazz poured in 33 points and pulled away.

Ingles, Conley, Bogdanovic and O'Neale all found their touch from deep, Gobert controlled the glass, and the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference essentially put the game away all while playing impressive defense. 

Six players ended up in double figures as a reminder of just how deep and scary this Jazz team can be to the rest of the league even with their best offensive player sidelined.

Poor Offensive Showing Ends Lakers' Chances

As the Lakers continue to look for consistent options outside of LeBron and AD, the win over the Jazz wasn't the only good news from Saturday.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Schroder and, perhaps most notably, Andre Drummond each scored 25 or more points in the win. Considering Drummond had a combined seven in the previous two games, the performance was a welcome one for the Lakers even if Gobert was sidelined.

That offensive explosion was largely missing Monday, as only Kuzma was in double figures by halftime for the home team.

Fortunately for the Lakers, the league's top-rated defense and hot shooting from the outside from Caldwell-Pope, Horton-Tucker and Schroder temporarily kept them within striking distance even though they managed just 19 points in the second quarter.

Horton-Tucker and Kuzma continued to play well into the second half, but there weren't many bright spots for the Lakers while the game was still hanging in the balance.

The team as a whole shot better from three-point range than inside the arc through three quarters as well, which is partially a testament to Gobert's ability to protect the rim and partially a result of the combined struggles of Drummond and Montrezl Harrell (4-of-16 combined from the field).

These games are largely just dress rehearsals for Los Angeles until its stars return, but the lack of firepower without James and Davis was on full display against one of the league's best squads.

What's Next?

Both teams are on the road for their next game when the Jazz face the Houston Rockets on Wednesday and the Lakers play the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday.

Andre Drummond is living it up in L.A. with a grill that fits his new surroundings.

The Los Angeles Lakers center bought a custom diamond grill from AP The Jeweler worth a projected $20,000, according to TMZ Sports.

It's the same jeweler who made a custom grill for Charlotte Hornets rookie LaMelo Ball.

Drummond placed the order while still a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers, but it arrived after his buyout in time for his recent signing with the Lakers. If things go well this season, it could give him an added accessory for the team's victory parade.

The two-time All-Star might have an uncertain future heading into free agency this offseason, but making more than $28 million in 2020-21 between his two teams has given him plenty of spending money.