6 Teams That Should Make a Run at Andrew Bynum
With three-way trade talks involving Los Angles Lakers center Andrew Bynum seemingly died down, it's time to wonder what destinations could be in play for the 24-year-old center.
Bynum will be a free agent at the end of the 2012-13 NBA season and is coming off a season where he averaged 18.7 points, 11.8 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game while playing in nearly every Lakers contest.
For a player who has struggled with injuries throughout his career, the latter portion may be the most important.
And with the Lakers openly shopping the game's second-best center, you wonder whether Bynum even wants to come back anymore.
If he doesn't, here's a look at six teams that should be targeting the Lakers big man.
Philadelphia 76ers
1 of 6Best Way to Target Bynum: via free agency in 2013
The Sixers have been in desperate search for a consistent post presence since the end of Dikembe Mutombo's two-season Philly run in 2002.
Ill-fated massive contracts given to Samuel Dalembert and Elton Brand have kept the team cash-strapped seemingly forever, but next year, the Sixers should have no less than $15 million in cap space.
If the team moves one of its never-ending supply of wing players who can't shoot for surrounding pieces, Philly could be an attractive destination. Bynum spent his first two years of high school in the Bucks County area in Pennsylvania, so this could even mark a homecoming for the league's second-best center.
Minnesota Timberwolves
2 of 6Best Way to Target Bynum: Via free agency in 2013
If Timberwolves general manager David Kahn wants to eradicate star power forward Kevin Love's reported (via Yahoo! Sports' Marc J. Spears) unhappiness, look no further than Bynum, who could give Minnesota the NBA's best frontcourt.
A trio of point guard Ricky Rubio, Love and Bynum would undoubtedly push the Timberwolves toward tier of the Western Conference as well.
The only problem with Minnesota's speculated interest in the 24-year-old center is that there will be no shortage of suitors next summer for Bynum. And most of these destinations are more naturally attractive destinations for a 25-year-old single man.
Atlanta Hawks
3 of 6Best Way to Target Bynum: via free agency in the summer of 2013.
By stockpiling eight expiring contracts on his 2012-13 roster, new Hawks general manager Danny Ferry definitely has something up his sleeve for the 2013 free agency period.
Some are convinced that the team is tanking so that the team can end its perpetual run of mid-seed first-round exit seasons. Others, like ESPN Insider's John Hollinger, have theorized that Ferry has gone all-in on pairing Atlanta boys Josh Smith and Dwight Howard while bringing in Chris Paul to run the show.
If that's the case, then his first order of business will probably be to extend Smith, who seems to have settled down from his trade demand from earlier this season.
But what happens to the master plan if Howard gets traded to Los Angeles and extends his contract? In could pop Bynum, who has seemingly become everyone's backup plan to landing Howard.
That would allow the Hawks grab another star for incumbent center Al Horford, whose $12 million per season salary makes him an attractive trade chip.
Dallas Mavericks
4 of 6Best Way to Target Bynum: As a free agent in the summer of 2013.
After losing out on point guard Deron Williams and seemingly every other free-agent target, Mavericks brass went into damage control mode this offseason.
Next year, Dallas will try to stay competitive by trotting out a patchwork group of one-year contracts while keeping its cap flexibility for next summer.
Their obvious targets are Dwight Howard and Chris Paul, but Dallas may be better served with Bynum. Neither Howard or Paul has made any indication of interest in Dallas, while Yahoo!'s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Dallas is among Bynum's top choices for next summer.
Plus, Bynum may be a better fit with aging star Dirk Nowitzki anyway. Bynum is a polished offensive center who would command double teams. That could leave Dirk, who will be 35 in 2013, to tone his role down and expand his prime.
Houston Rockets
5 of 6Best Way to Target Bynum: Via a three-way deal with the Los Angeles Lakers and Orlando Magic.
With the Lakers seemingly far ahead in the Dwight Howard sweepstakes, it seems prudent that the Rockets move on at this point. Howard has showed no interest in playing in Houston, anyway.
Bynum, on the other hand, is seemingly open to extending in Houston, according to Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski. And considering Howard is coming off back surgery while Bynum is coming off a career year, that's not the worst consolation prize.
With that in mind, the No. 1 priority of Rockets general manager Daryl Morey should be working the phones to overtake Cleveland as the favorite for Bynum's services.
It shouldn't be a hard sell. The Rockets have more young talent, draft picks and expiring money to send Orlando's way.
Cleveland Cavaliers
6 of 6Best Way to Target Bynum: Via a three-way deal with the Los Angeles Lakers and Orlando Magic.
Mum has been the word since last week's widespread report that the Cavs had emerged as the clubhouse leaders to play facilitator in a Dwight Howard-to-Los Angeles trade.
With a package that included forward Anderson Varejao, picks and expiring contracts, the Cavs seemed on the verge of committing highway robbery. The potential trade would pair the 24-year-old Bynum with Rookie of the Year Kyrie Irving and this year's No. 4 pick Dion Waiters.
But even if the potential three-way deal falls through, Cleveland could be a potential landing spot for Bynum in free agency next summer. The Cavs have plenty of cap space, and sources have told Fox Sports' Sam Amico that Bynum "loves" head coach Byron Scott and Irving.
