Details are beginning to emerge about the events that led up to Andrew Bynum being suspended indefinitely by the Cleveland Cavaliers. And while there doesn’t seem to be any one incident or blow-up that led to the club’s decision, the fact seems to be that Bynum was increasingly unhappy in his surroundings.
The team will of course try to trade Bynum and his flexible contract to get some type of return on its investment, but the reality is that everyone around the league knows the particulars of the deal -- one which incentivizes Cleveland to make a decision in the next week or so regarding Bynum’s status.
Only $6 million of Bynum’s two year deal worth almost $25 million is guaranteed, and the rest doesn’t become guaranteed unless he’s on the roster past Jan. 5. Because this date is rapidly approaching, and because Bynum is believed to be incorrigible where the Cavaliers are concerned, the latest report says that Bynum’s playing days in Cleveland are a thing of the past.
From Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com:• Bynum most likely has played his final game for the Cavs, though it is possible he will be on the roster for months and get paid. The Cavs can’t suspend him without pay for the rest of the season for conduct detrimental to the team.
• Bynum has been sulking recently because his playing time and touches have dwindled even as he’s at times showed he can still be a significant contributor. During the Cavs’ double-overtime loss Thursday to the Atlanta Hawks, Bynum was benched in the third quarter and never returned. He spent the rest of the night at the end of the bench and appeared to be sulking.
• On Friday, Bynum met with coach Mike Brown, sources said. It isn’t clear what happened in that meeting, but it’s possible he was told the Cavs might go a different direction with the big man’s minutes. Afterward, the Cavs decided to suspend Bynum and not take him on their team flight to Boston on Friday afternoon. By Saturday, the team had him on the trade block.
The part about him potentially being on the roster for months and getting paid doesn’t seem right at all, since the Cavaliers can simply waive Bynum sometime during the next week and cut their losses.
It would take a sincere reconciliation before then and then another incident to cause that to happen, a scenario which seems far from likely at this stage of the proceedings.
The only question where Bynum is concerned now becomes whether another team will take a chance on him. He’s shown the ability to still be able to play, but whether the desire is there to deal with any type of adversity at this point in his career remains to be seen, and the true contenders of the league -- Miami, Indiana, and San Antonio -- are unlikely to bother with such a risk.
The second-tier teams, however, may take a much longer look at the pros and cons of giving Bynum one final shot.