The Los Angeles Lakers signed Andre Drummond after he was bought out by the Cleveland Cavaliers and they would like to keep him long-term despite their cap limitations.

"They have been so committed to him being the ceremonial starter," said Dave McMenamin of Drummond on The Lowe Post. "And obviously he gets more than just ceremonial minutes. That seems to be something that is important to Drummond, which makes it important to the Lakers' front office because they have signaled to everyone listening, 'This isn't just a half a season buyout market rental. Andre Drummond is part of the future moving forward with this franchise.'

"That's always a tough one though. When you are trying to make moves to think about the future rather than win in the moment, it's hard to do both simultaneously as well as you possibly can."

The Lakers would need to use the taxpayer's Mid-Level Exception to sign Drummond in the offseason. The Lakers also have Marc Gasol and Montrezl Harrell at center while Anthony Davis typically plays center in their best lineups.