Andrew Bynum Will Undergo Season-Ending Surgery on Both Knees

Andrew Bynum will not take the court as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers this season.

In fact, the free-agent-to-be might never take the court as a Sixer, ever.  

After a long and strange journey from Los Angeles to Philadelphia that included knee surgeries and a bowling accident, Bynum will go under the knife again—this time on both knees to clear out debris and other problems.

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported on Twitter that Bynum was to undergo surgery on Monday afternoon:

According to ESPN.com NBA writer Brian Windhorst, the 76ers have confirmed the news:

When the Sixers landed Bynum from the Lakers, expectations were high in Philly. The team lacked a true superstar since the Allen Iverson days, and while the roster was full of young, talented role players, there wasn't a centerpiece to build around. 

The addition of Bynum was supposed to change all of that. The hope was that Bynum and his two bad knees would be ready to play around Christmas, he would quickly find chemistry with his teammates, the Sixers would be a contender in the East and Bynum would sign a long-term extension with the organization.

Those hopes are now a distant memory.

If you'll remember, Bynum didn't come cheap.

The epic deal brought Bynum and Jason Richardson to Philly. Dwight Howard, Chris Duhon and Earl Clark went to the Lakers. Arron Afflalo, Al Harrington, Moe Harkless, Nikola Vucevic, Josh McRoberts, Christian Eyenga and a slew of draft picks went to the Orlando Magic. And Andre Iguodala was sent to the Denver Nuggets.

Iguodala is having one of his typical seasons for the Denver Nuggets, averaging 12.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game. Nikola Vucevic has been excellent for the Orlando Magic, averaging 12.4 points and 11.5 rebounds per game. Moe Harkless has also shown promise.

Most Sixers fans loved the deal. The team was at a stalemate; Iguodala was a solid player but not worth the superstar money he was paid, and the opportunity to bring in the league's second-best center (18.7 points and 11.8 rebounds in Los Angeles the previous year) was too good to pass up.

Now, Sixers fans will lament a deal that cost them two young prospects and a franchise star. Bynum is set to hit the free-agent market this summer, and although the Sixers are in position to give him the most money/years in any deal, time will tell if they want to deal with his injury concerns for four to five more seasons.