The Denver Nuggets must address their depth this offseason to reclaim the NBA championship next year, particularly the center position, where they need to find a suitable backup for Nikola Jokic.
In a recent Bleacher Report column by Greg Swartz, he proposed that the Denver Nuggets should consider bringing in Andre Drummond, who is set to be a free agent this summer.
![Denver Nuggets Rumors: 2-Time NBA All-Star Free Agent Listed as the Ideal Nikola Jokic Backup 1 Andre Drummond, Chicago Bulls, Denver Nuggets](https://www.hardwoodheroics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/16611536087802.jpg)
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“Andre Drummond and Jokić are completely different players, but Drummond might be the best that Denver can afford with only veteran-minimum contracts to offer. After reaching the postseason only four times in his 12 NBA seasons and never making it out of the first round, Drummond should be hungry to win and play whatever role the Nuggets need him to,” Swartz wrote.
“Drummond’s rebounding remains elite. If he had played enough minutes to qualify, his rebound rate of 29.3 percent not only would have led the NBA, but it would have topped Jusuf Nurkić by a whopping 6.5 percentage points. The gap between Drummond and Nurkić was roughly the same as Nurkić and Bobby Portis, who finished 25th on the league leaderboard,” he added.
![Denver Nuggets Rumors: 2-Time NBA All-Star Free Agent Listed as the Ideal Nikola Jokic Backup 2 Andre Drummond, Denver Nuggets, Nikola Jokic](https://www.hardwoodheroics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/jh3l9qupnonhqbp6oijv.jpg)
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Getting someone like Andre Drummond would certainly help the Denver Nuggets given their lack of center depth, as exposed by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference semifinals.
How does Andre Drummond fit in with the Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets have been relying on DeAndre Jordan to be the primary backup for Nikola Jokic this season. However, Jordan will turn 36 next month, so he is already in the twilight of his NBA career.
In contrast, Andre Drummond is relatively in his prime at 30 years old, and he has proven to be a capable backup behind another European big man Nikola Vucevic in the last two seasons.
![Denver Nuggets Rumors: 2-Time NBA All-Star Free Agent Listed as the Ideal Nikola Jokic Backup 3 Chicago Bulls, Andre Drummond, NBA Free Agency, Chicago Bulls rumors, Andre Drummond News, NBA free agency rumors, Denver Nuggets](https://www.hardwoodheroics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/USATSI_22914739_168400517_lowres.jpg)
The four-time NBA rebounding champion averages 8.4 points and 9.0 rebounds in 17.1 minutes per game while shooting 55.6 percent from the field this season.
The Denver Nuggets might find it hard to sign Andre Drummond to a veteran’s minimum because they will face stiff competition from a team like the Oklahoma City Thunder, who can offer him a higher payday.