Despite his immature behavior in the past, his downright ugly injury history over the last couple of seasons, and moody reputation, Andrew Bynum remains a topic of interest because size can't be taught.
After he was suspended indefinitely by the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier this season and subsequently traded to the Chicago Bulls along with draft picks to get out from under the roster bonus he was set to receive, the Bulls released him immediately. Bynum was a member of the Philadelphia 76ers a season ago, part of the four-team super trade that sent Dwight Howard to Los Angeles. The Sixers acquired him hoping to get a superstar for a discount; instead knee injuries didn't allow him to play a single minute.
This year he was decent in his limited time for the Cavaliers, averaging 8.3 points per game and 5.8 rebounds in just 20 minutes a night. Now, he's a free agent and was said to have attracted interest from the Miami Heat, Los Angeles Clippers and Indiana Pacers. With about three weeks having passed since his release though, there's been no movement.
The Heat have gotten Greg Oden back, likely signaling the end of their Bynum pursuit. Blake Griffin has stepped up his game in L.A., while DeAndre Jordan is averaging a startling 13.9 rebounds per game, and Indiana's set with their big men. Another reason for the waning interest though is Bynum's salary demands.
ESPN's Marc Stein tweeted, "No. 1: Bynum wants more than min. money. No. 2: No team willing YET to pay more than minimum given ?s about how much he really wants to play."
No. 1: Bynum wants more than min. money. No. 2: No team willing YET to pay more than minimum given ?s about how much he really wants to play
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) January 29, 2014
Of those previously interested parties, Miami still could be viable due to Oden's own injury history. "It's all speculation," Heat executive Pat Riley said. "That's all it is. There will be a tremendous amount of research (on free agents). There's nothing going at all. There's nothing happening at all with that situation."
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