Former NBA All-Star center Andrew Bynum is reportedly interested to play once again for the Los Angeles Lakers, Zach Links of Hoops Rumors reported last week.
The 25-year old Bynum is looking for another chance to play in the NBA after tumultuous stints with the Philadelphia 76ers and the Cleveland Cavaliers. And despite having fragile knees and questionable behavior, there are still several teams willing to gamble on the big man.
"Thanks to his physical condition and reputation, one has to imagine that Bynum can be had for the minimum salary. And, even though he might not be the consummate teammate, we'd be surprised if someone wasn't willing to roll the dice on him," according to Link of Hoops Rumors.
The Clippers were the first team to audition the 7-foot Bynum this offseason, as he's one of several players (Andray Blatche, Ekpe Udoh) being considered as backup for center DeAndre Jordan next season.
Aside from the LA powerhouse, the New York Knicks also expressed some interest in Bynum, but his former coach and current head of basketball operations Phil Jackson stressed that he wants to see if his former center is healthy enough to contribute.
However, Bynum is still hopeful the Lakers will give him the chance to redeem himself, according to his agent David Lee.
"Earlier this month, the Clippers reportedly auditioned the big man while also scoping out Andray Blatche and Greg Oden in the same week. Agent David Lee said in July that the Knicks could also have interest in his client while Bynum himself would like to reunite with the Lakers.
After missing on elite free agents this offseason, the Lakers managed to fill in their roster with quality expiring contracts (Jeremy Lin and Carlos Boozer), rookies (Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle) and holdovers from the 2013-14 season (Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Robert Sacre, Nick Yong, Wesley Johnson and Xavier Henry).
However, many basketball analysts believed the Lakers still lacked some manpower, especially in the frontline, to contend at least for a playoff spot in a very loaded Western Conference.
Bynum, with all his troubles and disabilities, could be a nice gamble for the Lakers. Offering him a non-guaranteed deal could motivate him to improve his fitness and contribute for the team at some point next season. After all, Bynum proved three seasons ago that he was one of the most dominant big men in the league, when he became an All-Star starter in the 2011 NBA All-Star game.
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