Source: Bynum coming to Sixers, Iguodala gone
According to a league source, the big man the Sixers have long coveted will be arriving in town via trade Friday morning.
Source: Bynum coming to Sixers, Iguodala gone
Bob Cooney
According to a league source, the big man the Sixers have long coveted will be arriving in town via trade Friday morning.
The source confirmed to the Daily News that the reported deal that will bring Los Angeles Lakers 7-0, 285-pound center Andrew Bynum to the Sixers will be announced at a press conference Friday morning.
A source with direct knowledge of the talks told ESPN.com that the Denver Nuggets will get Sixers All-Star Andre Iguodala, the Lakers will receive Dwight Howard, the 76ers will get Bynum and Orlando’s Jason Richardson, and the Magic will get Denver’s Arron Afflalo, and Al Harrington, the Sixers’ Nikola Vucevic and one protected future first-round pick from each of the other three teams.
In addition, the Magic will be getting other pieces, including the 76ers’ No. 1 draft pick, Moe Harkless, a source told ESPN.
Lakers forward Pau Gasol had been in and out of talks, sources told ESPN.
Should the deal go through, it will be quite a coup for 76ers president Rod Thorn. When asked how the team can become a possible contender for a championship, three words usually weren’t too far from coming out of his mouth: “Dominant big man.”
Coach Doug Collins has commented on how nice it would be to have that hulking force in the post.
That force appears to be on the way.
Bynum, who will turn 25 in October, entered the NBA draft after his senior year in high school at Saint Joseph’s High School in Metuchen, N.J., and was selected by the Lakers with the 10th overall pick in 2005. In his seven seasons with L.A., Bynum, who grew up in Plainsboro, N.J., averaged 11.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks. Last season, his best in the league, Bynum went for 18.7 points, 11.8 rebounds, 1.9 blocks and shot 55.8 percent from the floor in 35.2 minutes per game. He missed just six games, the fewest since his second year in the league. He has been dogged about his leadership and maturity issues and has been hampered by injuries throughout his career. He has missed 130 of the Lakers’ 394 regular-season games, mostly due to separate knee injuries.
Iguodala is currently a helping hand on an Olympic team that seems headed to winning the gold medal in London. This past season, Iguodala was an All-Star for the first time and earned the unending praise of Collins for his defensive prowess and overall game that produced 12.4 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.5 assists.
Iguodala, 28, has spent all eight of his NBA seasons with the Sixers after being taken with the ninth pick in the 2004 draft. The durable Iguodala has been struggling with nagging injuries over the past couple of seasons, with tendinitis in both knees and a recurring Achilles’ strain.
In Bynum, the Sixers will be adding a possible expiring contract. Bynum is scheduled to make close to $16.5 million this coming season. Iguodala will make $14.7 million and has a player-option deal to make $15.9 million with the Sixers the next season.
My apologies to Stephen A.Smith for doubting his prediction that a deal would be finished by tomorrow. ESPN has confirmed that the Sixers get Bynum and Jason Richardson, lose Iguodala, Harkless, Vucevic and a protected first round pick. Are you kidding me? Wow!
— chuckw- Big move, this has to make them the favorites to win the Atlantic. Hopefully they can get him to re-up, gives them a great young core.— JayOfDaJungle
- O...MY...GOD! It's about DOWN! Sixers fans prayers have been answered, I will miss Igoudala as he was my favorite Sixer but this trade was the best possible deal the sixers could have gotten for Andre and i'm glad the sixers pulled the trigger. This is Evan's and Bynum's team now. Go Sixers!!— Elido
- And NOW it all makes sense
- Your details are way off here. Gasol is not in the trade. The Sixers are getting Bynum and Jason Richardson. They are trading Iggy, Vucevic, Moe Harkless and a first-round draft pick. Vucevic and Harkless are going to Orlando. Harrington is also going to Orlando, not LA. Orlando is getting first-round picks from Philly, LA and Denver along with Afflalo.— JimG
- AHHHHHHH YES YES YES YES YES YES!!!!!
My former username is finally fulfilled...
LETS GO SIXERS!! Ordering opening night tickets now!— The Villain ET - pretty fair trade— astroqueen0
Bynum will give you 25pts 12rbs with 3 blocks book it!- Wow!! A good move, jrue and Bynum are going to mesh. Hopefully Bynum re ups!— Datdude36
- This is a very good trade. Especially if they can resign Bynum next year (if not they get his cap space free). JRich only makes 6 mil a year and is a very good shooter from the outside, which they lack.— staup640
- Bynum will play half a season. Constantly injured...— greenflyer
- A power move. Thorn, you went out with a bang. Let's see. Turner, Holiday, Young, Hawes, Bynum. I like our chances against anybody in a playoff series. I also have to think that they know something else, we don't. They gave up a lot with Iggy, Vucevic and Harkless, can't think they would do that plus a protected future 1st rd pick for a 1 yr lease on Bynum— kerryt
- I thought they would sneak in and get Howard ... but I'll take this ... sure hope the guy doesn't flake out— lefty1117
- I can't believe this has happened. Someone needs to take the temperature of Denvers management, they must be running a fever! Great day for Sixers fans!— mjc1
- This sounds way too good to be true. If it does happen, then I will be a born-again Sixers fan. Igoudala should have been traded two years ago for some used basketball shoes. For a player whose contract is ridiculous (lol), the dude has absolutely no offensive game whatsoever, and for being a Sixers' co-captain, has always choked and failed to lead his team over the second-round hump during the playoffs. Now, Bynum's o-game may not be that much better, but hey, he's worth the ridiculous contract that he's getting because of his size and rebounding ability.— FeiHoongWong
Bob Cooney has been at the Daily News for more than 20 years, working in the sports department for the past 15. This is his third season on the Sixers beat. He has covered just about everything, but mostly college basketball, where he was the La Salle beat writer for six seasons. E-mail Bob at cooneyb@phillynews.com and follow him on Twitter.
