Key Nets player admits he will not be back with team next season

The Brooklyn Nets will have to capitalize on their window right now if they want to win a championship with one particular player on the roster.

Nets center Andre Drummond admitted in remarks to reporters this week that he will be leaving the team after this season.

“If we’re all being honest, I’m only here until the rest of the season,” said Drummond, per Sam Quinn of CBS Sports. “Who knows what’s gonna happen in the offseason?”

The context was that Drummond was speaking about backup center Nicolas Claxton and how the Nets were smart to keep Claxton at the trade deadline.

Drummond, who was acquired by the Nets as part of the James Harden-Ben Simmons trade, will be a free agent this summer. He has been a key piece for Brooklyn since arriving, averaging a near double-double as the team’s starting center with LaMarcus Aldridge injured.

Unfortunately, the Nets already have over $155 million on the books for next season, one of the highest salary figures in the league. Drummond is making less than $2.5 million this season and really has no reason to come back for a discount when he can get a much larger salary elsewhere at 28 years old.

Brooklyn has been surging lately, winning seven of their last nine games. They also recently got some seemingly good news with another one of their impending free agents. But when it comes to Drummond, they will have to enjoy him for the next several weeks because that may be as long as it lasts.