The Cleveland Cavaliers are still waiting on Andre Drummond on whether he will exercise his player option or not. The consensus is that the 6-foot-10 center will be opting in although most see him expecting a contract extension for doing so.

That part has yet to be addressed although Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff says Drummond will be part of the team’s plans, Cleveland.com reported. However, all that is now pending since it all depends if the two-time All-Star will opt in for the 2020-21 season.

“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. He’s going to make his choice known whenever he’s going to make his choice known. I know he’s made public comments. We’ve had no conversations about him not being here and we’ve been planning for the future with him,” he said.

   

Hence, it has now become a waiting game for the Cavs where Drummond only played eight games last NBA season. In a previous report from Cleveland.com, it was mentioned how top management was hesitant to talk about a contract extension, for now, hinting that they need further convincing to see how the 27-year-old player can consistently put up numbers.

In the eight games that he played for the Cavs, Drummond averaged 17.5 points, 11.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.4 blocks. Though these numbers are impressive, the Cavs want to see if he can sustain those numbers with more games. Hence, the best route towards that is seeing him in action this coming season playing more games for Cleveland.

But all that can only come to fruition if Drummond picks up the player option where he would make $28.7 million next season. Considering the ramifications of the coronavirus on team budgets, opting in would be the best recourse to make sure that Drummond is financially secure for the 2020-21 season.

But the twist is that most feel that Drummond will expect a lucrative contract extension if he exercises the player option of his deal. With no assurance that he could get something similar or higher from other clubs in the free-agent market, it could be the best decision for him. Assuming he does, there remains no assurance that he will stay in Cleveland after the 2020-21 season.