The Sixers revealed the results of the examination performed yesterday on Andrew Bynum's knees, and GM Tony DiLeo told reporters, including Tom Moore of PhillyBurbs.com, that it's "hard to predict" whether the team's marquee offseason acquisition will make it back to the court in time to have a relevant effect on the team this season (Twitter link). The Sixers said today that Bynum is showing improvement and has been cleared to intensify his workouts, tweets Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News.
Bynum is confident he'll return at some point this season, as Moore notes, although he characterizes today's news as a "baby step" (Twitter links). There remains no timetable for his recovery. The center has dealt with pain and swelling in both knees the past few months and has yet to make his debut for Philadelphia. As Moore documents, DiLeo is still confident in wisdom of the trade in which Bynum and Jason Richardson came to the Sixers, which shipped out Andre Iguodala, Nikola Vucevic, Maurice Harkless and a first-round draft pick (Twitter link).
"Would we still make the move knowing what happened? Yes," DiLeo said. "Are we disappointed? Yes.'"
DiLeo had not yet been promoted to GM when the trade went down August 10th. Team president Rod Thorn was in charge of day-to-day basketball operations at the time. Executives from other teams have reportedly begun to wonder whether the Sixers will trade Bynum, a free agent next summer, though DiLeo insists they haven't been shopping him. A few days ago, a majority of Hoops Rumors readers weighed in to say the Sixers should try to swap Bynum, as the prospect of the team losing him in free agency looms.