Andrew Bynum Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Links: Bynum, Knicks, Green

March 21st, 2013 at 8:11pm CST by Ryan Raroque

With an All-Star appearance and two championships on his resume, Andrew Bynum looked primed to stake his claim as the Eastern Conference's premier center after joining the 76ers last summer. Unfortunately, injury setbacks have kept Bynum from suiting up in a regular season game in Philadelphia, and a huge question mark looms over his future as he approaches free agency this summer. ESPN's Chris Broussard, who originally thought that the 76ers were the biggest beneficiaries of the Dwight Howard trade, spoke with six other NBA executives about how they would handle the 7-foot center's contract situation this summer (Insiders only). Although they each offer unique approaches, it's not much of a surprise that none would offer a max contract. Here's more out of the Atlantic Division:

Jared Zwerling and Ian Begley of ESPN New York discussed the latest on the Knicks, most notably about the health of Carmelo Anthony and Iman Shumpert. Begley also added that he thinks that the team will revisit adding another player before the playoffs start, being that it would be a big gamble to start the postseason with three players unavailable due to season-ending injuries.
Newsday's Barbara Baker says that Shumpert appears healthy today after a scare during last night's game against the Magic, when the second year guard said he felt a "pop" in the same knee that he suffered an ACL injury almost one year ago.
Tim Smith of the New York Daily News talks about Kenyon Martin's resurgence with the Knicks as the former number one pick fills in for the team's injured big men.
Danny Ainge told Salk and Holley of 93.7 WEEI FM that Celtics swingman Jeff Green is starting to prove that he deserves to be on the court for "most minutes of the game" (Ben Rohrbach of WEEI.com reports).

Latest On Andrew Bynum

March 21st, 2013 at 12:49pm CST by Luke Adams

As the Sixers announced yesterday in a press release, Andrew Bynum underwent bilateral arthroscopic surgery on both knees on Tuesday, effectively ending his season. The timeline for his recovery ensures he won't be off crutches until May, just weeks before he'll officially become a free agent. There likely won't be a more interesting case in free agency this summer than Bynum, who was once viewed as a lock for a maximum-salary contract, but is now considered a risk on more than a one-year deal. Here's the latest on the big man, who may never play a game for the Sixers:

As Jason Wolf of the Courier-Post writes, the Sixers should receive about $6.76MM in salary relief from insurance on Bynum's contract this season. Rod Thorn indicated last week that the club was covered under the league-wide program, which sees the insurance company pay 80% of a disabled player's salary, following a 41-game waiting period. That means insurance will cover 80% of half of Bynum's $16,889,000 salary, for a total of $6,755,600.
ESPN.com's Chris Broussard (Insider link) spoke to a handful of executives, asking them what sort of deal they anticipate for Bynum this summer, and some were more bullish on the center's prospects than others. Said one exec: "I don't think the guy's going to make a ton of money this summer. He's sat out the whole year. He's not going to make the max. He was on his way to making that for sure. I'd say make him a one-year, partially guaranteed offer."
Another exec polled by Broussard was more optimistic about Bynum's chances of getting the max for at least the first year: "I think you've got to do a two-year deal; really, a four-year deal…. I would max him the first year, give him the second year half-guaranteed. It'd be fully guaranteed if he plays a certain number of games. So in a four-year deal, the first year is 100% guaranteed; the second year is 50% guaranteed but if you play 60 games the second year, it's fully guaranteed. Same thing in the third year."
The same exec said he could see the Rockets making an offer like that, but that Mark Cuban and the Mavericks would likely be reluctant to do such a deal.

Free Agent Notes: Mayo, Kaman, Bynum, Howard

March 19th, 2013 at 9:44pm CST by Alex Lee

We're still a long way from the NBA offseason, but as teams are eliminated from playoff contention (and eventually the playoffs), we should start to hear more and more about their free agents. Here are a few links on some of the players that will be part of this summer's free agent crop:

In his Tuesday chat session, Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News says that O.J. Mayo can be the third best player on a legitimate title contender and that the Mavericks need to bring him back if they can get him at the right price. For Sefko, that price is somewhere under $10MM per year. He recommends something in the ballpark of a four-year, $30-35MM pact, though he admits that may not get it done for Mayo.
Sefko also opines that Chris Kaman, a free agent at season's end, will likely sign elsewhere this offseason. One option to replace Kaman at center would be Andrew Bynum, who Sefko calls "double-damaged-goods" because of his balky knees. However, Sefko says the Mavs should still consider offering Bynum their mid-level exception because should he return to health, at his age, he could be then be the NBA's biggest bargain.
With news of his knee surgeries, Moke Hamilton of Sheridan Hoops has dropped Bynum to 13th on Free Agency Rankings. According to Hamilton, Bynum's talent makes him worthy of a multi-year deal, but anything more than three years is unlikely.
Dwight Howard has fired his business manager and cousin, Kevin Samples, after nine years of service, Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register reports. Ding suggests that this move is another step in Howard's transformation into his "own man". Without Samples, who moved to Los Angeles when Howard joined the Lakers, Howard will presumably head into free agency looking elsewhere for advice.

Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Sixers, Bynum, Acy

March 19th, 2013 at 10:23am CST by Luke Adams

Over at Grantland.com, Zach Lowe checks in with the early favorite for the week's most interesting NBA piece, delving into the SportVU camera-tracking system and explaining how it's employed by the Raptors. I highly recommend checking out Lowe's story, which includes some fascinating details that, frankly, I'm surprised the Raps were willing to share publicly. Here are a few more notes from out of the Atlantic Division:

Multiple NBA executives tell Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld that they wouldn't be surprised if a "desperate" club offers Andrew Bynum a max contract this summer. Kennedy expects the Hawks, Mavericks, Rockets, and Trail Blazers to be among the interested teams (Twitter links). I'd imagine that the Sixers will at least have to kick the tires on re-signing Bynum as well.
Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld also looks ahead to Bynum's free agency in the wake of news that the big man will undergo season-ending surgery. According to one executive who spoke to Kyler, if Bynum is willing to agree to injury exclusions in his contract, teams likely won't hesitate to make him big offers. It remains to be seen whether Bynum would be more interested in a deal like that or a smaller offer made up entirely of guaranteed money.
Although a report last week suggested that the Raptors would likely recall Quincy Acy from the D-League, Doug Smith of the Toronto Star says the team likes having Acy getting consistent playing time with the Bakersfield Jam. For now, there's no rush to bring him back to Toronto, where he'd receive limited minutes.

Andrew Bynum Done For Season

March 18th, 2013 at 6:52pm CST by Zachary Links

Sixers center Andrew Bynum is scheduled to undergo surgery on both of his knees in New York tomorrow, sources told Howard Eskin of 94WIP Radio (on Twitter). The operations, which will clean out debris in his knees, will sideline him for the remainder of the 2012/13 season.

The news means that the 76ers didn't get a minute of Andrew Bynum on the court after giving up Andre Iguodala, Moe Harkless, and Nikola Vucevic this offseason. To make matters worse, Bynum will be a free agent after this season and despite his health troubles, the center could still command something near a max deal if everything checks out medically. Philadelphia could still make a play to keep the 25-year-old, but their frustration over what has happened is apparent.

If the Sixers do re-sign Bynum to a max deal, it'll cost them nearly $102MM over five years, as our own Luke Adams calculated recently. The max for another team would be $75.7MM over four seasons, which is still costly considering the immense risk a club would take on by signing him.

Rod Thorn Talks Andrew Bynum

March 13th, 2013 at 7:31pm CST by Alex Lee

As we heard earlier, Tom Moore of PhillyBurbs.com was able to track down Sixers President Rod Thorn for some answers on the Andrew Bynum situation in Philadelphia. It appears Thorn answered more than just a few questions, as Jason Wolf from the Wilmington News Journal reports that the Sixers front man also addressed the insurance issue with regard to the $16.9MM salary that Bynum is in the process of collecting in 2012-13.

Prior to Wednesday's 76ers matchup with the Heat, Thorn said, “There is a league-wide insurance that he’s under that gives you some relief along those lines. It’s the same league-wide program that every player’s under. Unless you have a pre-existing condition – and he didn’t – so he’s on the same one as everybody else."

Wolf says that this news supports the 76ers' claim that four doctors inspected Bynum's health, and in effect approved the trade. Thorn wouldn't, however, go as far as to divulge the percentage of Bynum's salary that insurance would cover. According to Thorn, it sounds like Bynum will be the one deciding whether or not he will address his knee problems with surgery in the near future.

“He’s had problems," Thorn said. "He’s worked very hard. As you can see when you see him, he’s huge. His upper body, he works in the weight room, he works hard, he just hasn’t been able to play. It’s been very tough for him and obviously it’s been very tough for us.”

As we outlined in Bynum's Free Agent Stock Watch post, the seven-footer's future is one of the more unpredictable in recent NBA memory. Thorn, as well as new general manager Tony DiLeo, have a near-impossible decision on their hands. The Sixers gave up a ton for Bynum and expected him to elevate them into legitimate contention. Nearly everything has gone wrong since, leading to widespread speculation about what will happen next.

“Obviously, to have a player of that ilk, a player who can make such a difference, any time you don’t have that kind of player it’s tough,” Thorn said. “Who knows what’s going to happen when the season’s over?”

Odds & Ends: Arenas, McGrady, Sixers, Kings

March 13th, 2013 at 7:16pm CST by Alex Lee

It's a Wednesday night full of storylines in the NBA, as LeBron James and the Heat go for their 20th consecutive win in Philly and Carmelo Anthony returns to Denver for the first time since he was traded to the Knicks. Let's round up all the other Wednesday links from around the league here:

An NBA executive told Sports Illustrated's Ian Thomsen, via text, that he would be "shocked" if any team picked up Gilbert Arenas or Tracy McGrady in the final month of the season. Both former NBA stars have spent this season playing in China.
Tom Moore of PhillyBurbs.com caught up with 76ers president Rod Thorn on what has become an intriguing organizational situation in Philadelphia due to Andrew Bynum. While Thorn initially refused to comment on Bynum, he eventually said, "It's a little bizarre, no doubt about it." (Twitter links)
With regard to Nikola Vucevic, who the Sixers gave up for Bynum and is now averaging a double-double at 22-years-old, Thorn said, "Nik is a very skilled player with great hands. You could tell he had a very good future ahead of him." (via Twitter)
Sacramento city officials have given themselves an eight day window to construct a financing plan for a new downtown arena, writes Ryan Lillis, Tony Bizjak and Dale Kasler of the Sacramento Bee. With that timeline, the plan would be complete five days before the city council voted on the plan on March 26. Cementing the terms of an arena deal is vital in the city's claim to keep the Kings.
The Bee's Marcos Breton writes that many knowledgable businessmen in the Sacramento area and beyond consider the city's last-ditch effort to keep the Kings a fool's errand. Breton spoke with a leading authority on arena financing who describes the offer from the Seattle group "considerably stronger."

Atlantic Links: Bynum, Knicks, Celtics

March 9th, 2013 at 9:00pm CST by Ryan Raroque

After paying a hefty price of Andre Iguodala, Nikola Vucevic, Maurice Harkless and a first round pick to bring Andrew Bynum to Philadelphia, the 76ers have had little to reap from that investment this season. Ben Bolch of the LA Times wonders if it will be worth the risk offering the one-time All-Star a new deal this summer, something that GM Tony DiLeo called the team's "Plan A" for the upcoming offseason. Here's the rest of what we've heard out of the Atlantic Division tonight:

Howard Beck of the New York Times clarifies that Amar'e's contract is uninsured in the event of a career ending eye or knee injury (Twitter link).
Amare Stoudemire's injury could open up some playing time for sparingly-used Chris Copeland, writes Mark Herrmann of Newsday. Meanwhile, ESPN New York's Jared Zwerling talks about the fallout of not having Stoudemire and how the Knicks will have to adjust for the rest of the season.
A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com highlights the potency of the Celtics bench, who he says has had an impact on nearly every aspect of the game. In another article, Jackie MacMullan of ESPN Boston delves heavily into the complete team player that Paul Pierce has been and how he has carried the Celtics on his back this season.
Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer profiles Raptors' rookie Jonas Valanciunas, who despite his inexperience has earned a significant role with coach Dwane Casey because of his high activity level and toughness.

Free Agency Links: Millsap, Smith, Bynum, West, Oden

March 9th, 2013 at 12:21pm CST by Sean Highkin

With the trade deadline behind us, some teams are already looking toward this summer's free agent class. Here is a roundup of the latest buzz on that front:

Acknowledging that Chris Paul and Dwight Howard aren't likely to leave their respective Los Angeles teams, Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld looks at a list of free agents who are more obtainable by other teams, including Atlanta's Josh Smith and Utah's Paul Millsap.
Ben Golliver of SI.com runs down a list of free agents whose stock has risen or fallen this season. He points to Andrew Bynum as someone who has hurt his chances at a big payday, and Smith and David West as likely candidates for a big payday.
Jodie Valade of the Plain Dealer reports that Greg Oden, who is gearing up for a second attempt at an NBA career, recently attended a Cavaliers game and had positive impressions of the organization.
Valade also profiles Rich Paul, a former member of LeBron James' marketing team who is finding success running his own sports agency.

Stein’s Latest: Josh Smith, Bucks, Mavs, Rockets

March 9th, 2013 at 12:21am CST by Chuck Myron

As rumors fly long past the NBA's trade deadline, Marc Stein of ESPN.com checks in with a Weekend Dime that's heavy on items about Josh Smith, as well as plenty of news about the Rockets. There's even a link between Smith and Houston, so let's dig in.

The Bucks came closest to acquiring Smith at the deadline, as a source tells Stein that Atlanta's talks with the Sixers were never as serious as they were with Milwaukee.
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported earlier today that the Hawks nearly sent Smith to the Celtics, but Stein hears Atlanta's brass shared the concerns of many NBA teams that C's basketball president Danny Ainge would get cold feet about dealing one of his stars. Paul Pierce would have been sent to the Mavs in the rumored Smith-to-Boston trade.
The Hawks preferred to send Smith to the Western Conference, but were rebuffed by the Mavs, who refused to add a draft pick to a package that already included Vince Carter, Chris Kaman, Jae Crowder, Brandan Wright and Dahntay Jones. Many of those Mavericks were also part of the proposed three-way trade with the Celtics.
If the Rockets don't land top target Dwight Howard this summer, they'll turn their attention to Smith and Andrew Bynum next, sources tell Stein.
Aaron Brooks forfeited just under $3.4MM in his buyout from the Kings, Stein hears. Brooks was set to make $3.396MM next season on a player option, so presumably the buyout simply entailed him declining that option.
I took a look in January at all the former Rockets the team still has on the payroll, a list that's since grown even longer, as Stein notes. Houston has waived or bought out 10 players this season, all of whom are still on the team's cap.
Stein catches up with Thomas Robinson, who was surprised when the Kings drafted him last year and "shocked" when they traded him to the Rockets at the deadline.
There's a schism in thought around the league about whether Monta Ellis is leaning toward staying with the Bucks next season or exercising his early-termination option to hit free agency this summer.
Samuel Dalembert is hitting free agency no matter what, but echoing his report before the trade deadline that Milwaukee was no longer trying to move Dalembert, Stein says the Bucks have some interest in re-signing the Haitian center.