Your thoughts on trying to acquire andrew Bynum?
- Thread starter Demarcus Cousins
- Start date
Short answer: No.
Long answer: Hell no.
He's a young player who has already sustained multiple season crippling injuries to his legs. Look at the breakdown of Yao Ming and Greg Oden and decide if that's something you would possibly want to deal with down the line when we should be competing for championships. He's had personal tutoring from one of the greatest big men of all time in Lew Alcindor since the beginning of his NBA career and he's STILL mechanical and stiff as hell with his post moves. And he was STILL outclassed, outplayed, outskilled and out-talented by a 20-year old rookie who has gone without the benefit a Hall of Fame big man tutor. Secondly, they overrate him by quite a bit down there in LA, so your package of just Sammy D and Donte won't get anything done with them, nor would I want it done in the first place.
We're in a better place with Dalembert and Greene than we would with Bynum, undeveloped as Donte is right now. The only Lakers I would probably want for the long haul if someone held a gun to my head would be Gasol, Shannon Brown, and Steve Blake. Keep in mind that I said long haul, so Kobe was left off intentionally, great as he is.
Long answer: Hell no.
He's a young player who has already sustained multiple season crippling injuries to his legs. Look at the breakdown of Yao Ming and Greg Oden and decide if that's something you would possibly want to deal with down the line when we should be competing for championships. He's had personal tutoring from one of the greatest big men of all time in Lew Alcindor since the beginning of his NBA career and he's STILL mechanical and stiff as hell with his post moves. And he was STILL outclassed, outplayed, outskilled and out-talented by a 20-year old rookie who has gone without the benefit a Hall of Fame big man tutor. Secondly, they overrate him by quite a bit down there in LA, so your package of just Sammy D and Donte won't get anything done with them, nor would I want it done in the first place.
We're in a better place with Dalembert and Greene than we would with Bynum, undeveloped as Donte is right now. The only Lakers I would probably want for the long haul if someone held a gun to my head would be Gasol, Shannon Brown, and Steve Blake. Keep in mind that I said long haul, so Kobe was left off intentionally, great as he is.
To add to what's already been said (re: injuries and fit), I don't think he can be acquired at a reasonable price. LA sees him as a key to the future, someone to build around post-Kobe. Even if they don't truly believe that, they'll market him that way and demand way too much back in assets than he's truly worth. He's been on two championship teams and a 3x WC champ. If LA could move him, they could easily dupe some GM into thinking he's a key part to a winning team and get a haul for him that I don't think he is worth, at all.
Besides, you're forgetting rule #1 of acquisition: never deal with the Lakers.
Besides, you're forgetting rule #1 of acquisition: never deal with the Lakers.
The lakers would be way better with Dally than with Bynum. I feel like they try and cater to him by letting him go to work in the post which spaceman already pointed out in that he's overly stiff and mechanical with it. They can run their offense perfectly fine through Kobe or Gasol no problem. If they had Dally, he'd be a perfect defensive roll playing center. Bynum is beyond overrated.
Way better huh? They just won back to back titles with Bynum at C and were one of the better defensive teams, if not the best defensive team in the league. I guess they would have gone undefeated with Dalembert at C. The fact that I am even defending Bynum or anyone affiliated with the Lakers makes me sick, but it is absurd to say the Lakers would be way better with Dalembert, or even better in general.
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Since his second year in the NBA Bynum has played in less than 60% of the Laker's games missing 120 of the last 294 games. I'd be wary of trading for any player who misses so many games due to injury. But especially for a 23 year old 7 footer.
That said, the Lakers are really hoping he's hit a string of bad luck and isn't going to be chronically injured. Because when he's healthy he's a very good center with potential to be great. He's currently putting up nearly the same offensive and rebounding numbers as DeMarcus in the same minutes, albeit with a significantly higher shooting percentage. Based on potential and recent production I fully expect Cousins to clearly be a superior offensive talent.
But Bynum is and will continue to be a better defensive presence. He's a legit 7 feet in socks, carries his weight well and clogs the lane. I really look forward to him battling Cousins (and hopefully losing) for years to come.
As for them on the same team? Even if they Lakers would consider trading him (they won't) he is not a good compliment to Cousins. DMC really would be best served with an athletic rebounder/shotblocker who can step out and hit jumpers and guard the quicker bigs in the league. Right now I'm honestly surprised at how well the DMC/Dally pairing has worked.
Also, as mentioned, Bynum has a big contract and a long injury history. He makes little sense for the Kings and (if healthy) makes all the sense in the world for the Lakers.
That said, the Lakers are really hoping he's hit a string of bad luck and isn't going to be chronically injured. Because when he's healthy he's a very good center with potential to be great. He's currently putting up nearly the same offensive and rebounding numbers as DeMarcus in the same minutes, albeit with a significantly higher shooting percentage. Based on potential and recent production I fully expect Cousins to clearly be a superior offensive talent.
But Bynum is and will continue to be a better defensive presence. He's a legit 7 feet in socks, carries his weight well and clogs the lane. I really look forward to him battling Cousins (and hopefully losing) for years to come.
As for them on the same team? Even if they Lakers would consider trading him (they won't) he is not a good compliment to Cousins. DMC really would be best served with an athletic rebounder/shotblocker who can step out and hit jumpers and guard the quicker bigs in the league. Right now I'm honestly surprised at how well the DMC/Dally pairing has worked.
Also, as mentioned, Bynum has a big contract and a long injury history. He makes little sense for the Kings and (if healthy) makes all the sense in the world for the Lakers.
Bynum has played 5 seasons in the NBA, and has missed a ton of games. He's actually played 82 games in a year once in his career.
1st year: 46 games
2nd year: 82 games
3rd year: 35 games
4th year: 50 games
5th year: 65 games
So far this year he's played in 24 of the 48 games the Lakers have played, and according to what I read this morning, he woke up with his knee swollen to the extent that he may miss more games. The scarey part is that its the opposite knee from the one he had offseason surgery on. When you add in that he makes $13,842,332.00 this year and more in the next couple of years, and that he's a true center just like Cousins is, I'm going to pass.
It isn't like Bynum has just hit a string of bad luck. He's never had a string of good luck from the beginning of his career. Unlike a Gerald Wallace who is frequently injured, but his injuries aren't chronic, Bynum's injuries are chronic. And those are the players you stay away from, talented or not. Just too much risk.
Unlike Vlade, I think the Lakers would trade Bynum. For the right player. And there in lies the problem. No good GM is going to give up any player of significance for a player with his history of injuries.
1st year: 46 games
2nd year: 82 games
3rd year: 35 games
4th year: 50 games
5th year: 65 games
So far this year he's played in 24 of the 48 games the Lakers have played, and according to what I read this morning, he woke up with his knee swollen to the extent that he may miss more games. The scarey part is that its the opposite knee from the one he had offseason surgery on. When you add in that he makes $13,842,332.00 this year and more in the next couple of years, and that he's a true center just like Cousins is, I'm going to pass.
It isn't like Bynum has just hit a string of bad luck. He's never had a string of good luck from the beginning of his career. Unlike a Gerald Wallace who is frequently injured, but his injuries aren't chronic, Bynum's injuries are chronic. And those are the players you stay away from, talented or not. Just too much risk.
Unlike Vlade, I think the Lakers would trade Bynum. For the right player. And there in lies the problem. No good GM is going to give up any player of significance for a player with his history of injuries.
I'm not trying to say he's untouchable, they'd probably trade him for Dwight Howard, but there is no realistic deal that they'd do. They value the depth and versatility of their frontcourt too much. It would take a lot to get them to trade Bynum, they wouldn't even trade him for Bosh. They like his defensive presence, they like his low post game, and they see him as an important part of their future core when Pau and Kobe are past their prime.
Lets just say that I've heard rumors to the opposite. One rumor I heard was the the Lakers just wish he could stay healthy long enough, so he'd have more value on the market. There isn't a GM in the league worth his salt right now that would trade anything of real value for Bynum. No arguement that when healthy he's a valuable player. It just that he's never healthy for any length of time.
Well, I don't know what rumor you heard. Personally, I've seen nothing, whether recently or over the last year, that would suggest to me that the Lakers are looking to deal Bynum at any point. That may not mean much though since Kupchak typically keeps things very close to the chest.
Still, I can't see them dealing him since they're completely in win now mode and I can't see them being comfortable with not having a big body low post player like him. So they'd have to get a center back, because Gasol has proven that he can't handle the load of playing center over a long period of time. I'm sure they're concerned about his long term durability (who wouldn't be?) but they've valued him very highly since he was drafted and they've invested a lot in him. Besides, he's been playing pretty well since moving into the starting lineup. He's hardly the problem on that team.
Still, I can't see them dealing him since they're completely in win now mode and I can't see them being comfortable with not having a big body low post player like him. So they'd have to get a center back, because Gasol has proven that he can't handle the load of playing center over a long period of time. I'm sure they're concerned about his long term durability (who wouldn't be?) but they've valued him very highly since he was drafted and they've invested a lot in him. Besides, he's been playing pretty well since moving into the starting lineup. He's hardly the problem on that team.
Up until draft day, Bynum would have been a good option. On here we had discussed whether or not it would be a good idea to go after Bynum or Oden, and take a chance on one of them. Most agreed it would be a good idea to at least go after one of them if we had the chance. There aren't many good options in the league for elite centers right now, and both Bynum and Oden, though injured, have more potential than 85% of the centers in the league. If they can stay healthy, the risk would pay off.
Of course, that all ended on draft day. That's why even before the lottery, I wanted Cousins even if we picked #1. Cousins type talent, in a center, comes along once every decade, if that. We now have a franchise center, if he keeps his head on straight, and going after a Bynum or Oden, which would be a calculated risk, is not a risk worth taking anymore.
Of course, that all ended on draft day. That's why even before the lottery, I wanted Cousins even if we picked #1. Cousins type talent, in a center, comes along once every decade, if that. We now have a franchise center, if he keeps his head on straight, and going after a Bynum or Oden, which would be a calculated risk, is not a risk worth taking anymore.
http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/news/story?id=6080446
http://lakersblog.latimes.com/lakersblog/
What trade chips do they have besides Kobe, Gasol, Odom and Bynum? Of those which is most likely to be traded?
http://lakersblog.latimes.com/lakersblog/
What trade chips do they have besides Kobe, Gasol, Odom and Bynum? Of those which is most likely to be traded?
Oden would still be an option though if Dalembert bolts somewhere else.
Blazers have said they won't make him a qualifying offer making him an unrestricted FA. There would be teams out there that would still take a chance at him because he could still be a big interior defensive force (although, not the overall package Blazers were hoping for).
I still think that if Dalembert decides to go somewhere else, then Oden could come into play for us, at a lower price.
Blazers have said they won't make him a qualifying offer making him an unrestricted FA. There would be teams out there that would still take a chance at him because he could still be a big interior defensive force (although, not the overall package Blazers were hoping for).
I still think that if Dalembert decides to go somewhere else, then Oden could come into play for us, at a lower price.
I said I've heard nothing about them trading, or wanting to trade, Bynum. You implied that there was something akin to that in the LA times, but there was not. You just offered me your inference, which is highly speculative.
Do teams often come out and say they're trying to trade somebody? No, and on that note, the Lakers never talk about trades when they're actually about to make one. I'm about 90% certain that this is just a motivation tactic by the Lakers. They never come out like this and talk about making trades, the ulterior motive is pretty transparent actually. That's the "between the lines read" if you're really interested. The Lakers are not about to break up a championship core, there is absolutely no reason to think they'd do that. Mitch Kupchak is not the reactionary/panic type. They want them to play better, but they know they're going to be far more focused in the playoffs.
Bynum is way too important to their playoff success for them to trade him.
Do teams often come out and say they're trying to trade somebody? No, and on that note, the Lakers never talk about trades when they're actually about to make one. I'm about 90% certain that this is just a motivation tactic by the Lakers. They never come out like this and talk about making trades, the ulterior motive is pretty transparent actually. That's the "between the lines read" if you're really interested. The Lakers are not about to break up a championship core, there is absolutely no reason to think they'd do that. Mitch Kupchak is not the reactionary/panic type. They want them to play better, but they know they're going to be far more focused in the playoffs.
Bynum is way too important to their playoff success for them to trade him.