Andre Drummond Rejects Connection Between Twitter Profile And Trade Rumors

By Will Burchfield
Twitter @Burchie_kid

AUBURN HILLS (CBS DETROIT) - Andre Drummond was busy on Twitter on Tuesday, giving life to a theory that he was hinting at a trade from Detroit to Boston.

But he later downplayed his new profile picture and flirty correspondence with the Celtics' Isaiah Thomas.

"I'm a grown man, I can change my profile if I want to. Same thing you can do with yours. It doesn't matter what time of the year it is, if I want to change my profile picture I can. If you all want to speculate about that, by all means go for it," Drummond said, after the Pistons first practice back from the All-Star break.

The Pistons' 23-year-old center has been wrapped up in trade rumors of late, with the NBA's trade deadline looming on Thursday afternoon. But he doesn't have time for the speculation.

"What's it got to do with my team? Worry about the second half of the season, I can't control what happens in the trade rumors. I'm just here to play basketball," Drummond said. "If I get traded, I get traded. If I don't, I don't. I'm here to play."

The fifth-year pro said he has grown accustomed to hearing his name in rumors.

"That's just the way the NBA is. It's all a business. Everybody's name gets thrown around when they're a high-profile guy. My name happens to be (out there). I'm not mad or anything like that, I'm still here to play basketball. Whatever happens, happens," he said.

Pistons president-coach Stan Van Gundy said on Tuesday the organization has not come close to trading its franchise player, but suggested it has given the idea thought.

"Some discussions get more serious than others and that's what happens. There hasn't been a serious discussion about Andre, but that doesn't mean there haven't been discussions about Andre," he said.

For the most part, though, Van Gundy was dismissive of the various reports regarding the Pistons' plan at the trade deadline.

"Chart all the rumors, and 95 percent of them will not happen and probably 90 percent of them were never even discussed seriously...All the rumors and stuff don't mean a damn thing. They don't. They really mean nothing," he said.