As many Dwight Howard rumors as we've been subjected to over the last few months, it's been easy to overlook that many of those trade rumors also include another All-Star center, who will hit free agency himself at just age 25 next summer. Andrew Bynum's agent David Lee was asked yesterday by Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal specifically about whether his client was interested in the Cavs, but Lee spoke to a number of reporters in more general terms as well, including Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com and Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times. Here are the highlights from the two pieces:
- The Lakers have yet to grant any team linked to Bynum, such as the Cavs, Magic or Rockets, permission to speak to Lee.
- "I can't imagine any team foolish enough to do the deal without asking permission to speak to Andrew," Lee said. "That's beyond belief, but strange things happen." Based on Adrian Wojnarowski's report for Yahoo! Sports yesterday though, it sounds more like the Lakers are unwilling to let teams speak to Bynum without having agreed to a trade in principle.
- Lee denied that Bynum has a preferred list of destinations.
- ESPN.com's Chris Broussard (within Shelburne's piece) reports that Bynum is unlikely to sign an extension anywhere except maybe with the Lakers. Again, like the story on Howard last night, that's referring to an in-season extension, which would max out at three years and is unlikely for any star player.
- Extension discussions between the Lakers and Lee have yet to begin, but the agent expects them to get underway soon of the Howard trade talks drag out much longer.
- Also within Shelburne's piece, ESPN.com's Brian Windhorst adds that while the Cavs are interested in Bynum, the club has no choice but to view him as a one-year rental for now.
- The constant trade rumors haven't soured Bynum on the Lakers at all, according to Lee: "He's never had a problem with the organization despite all the things he has gone through. I don't think I've ever heard him offer a negative comment about the (Lakers) organization."