ESPN's Bayless: Sixers suckers in Bynum trade
According to Skip Bayless of ESPN, there's really no reason for the 76ers to await anxiously the results of Andrew Bynum's Dec. 20 checkup.
ESPN's Bayless: Sixers suckers in Bynum trade
According to Skip Bayless of ESPN, there’s really no reason for the 76ers to await anxiously the results of Andrew Bynum’s Dec. 20 checkup.
Bayless, one of the hosts on ESPN’s “First Take,” said on Tuesday’s show that the Sixers were the suckers in the four-team trade that landed Dwight Howard with the foundering Los Angeles Lakers.
“I spoke the other day to a very reliable Sixers source - I spoke to somebody I trust - who told me and confirmed to me Andrew Bynum’s knees are shot,” Bayless said. “We’re talking about beyond repair, progressive arthritis, deep degeneration, unfixable.
“The source said that he will try to play,” Bayless continued. “He might even occasionally over the next year or two have a decent game here and there. But long-term this will get only worse – only worse. So bottom line, the Sixers got taken in this trade that ultimately landed Dwight Howard in Los Angeles.”
Bynum on Monday said that his right knee, site of the first bone bruise, feels fine, adding that it is the left knee, the one he hurt while bowling, that is causing him pain.
“There is nothing I can really do about it; it’s arthritis in the knees,” Bynum said. “The cartilage is missing so that’s not something that’s going to re-grow itself. Maybe in the future, next three to five years there may be something out there that really does help. For right now it’s kind of just a waiting game.”
- Don't give up on Moultrie yet. DC's tendency to not trust rookies is hurting him and Wayns. At least they are getting more PT opposed to earlier in the season. I would still rather see Moultrie over Kwame any day. Kwame awareness on the court is terrible.
Also, Dwight never guaranteed as you pointed out to stay with the Lakers. He may end up in Brooklyn. With the new head coach, Kobe getting on him, and the surrounding pieces are either old (Kobe, Pau and Meeta) or not good.— Manok - Sounds like "a very reliable Sixers source - I spoke to somebody I trust" is trying to black ball Bynum from the NBA. Payback is a *itch.— phillyart
- Was a high risk/high reward and it didn't work out. They'll still have the cap space to sign someone else. People need to realize the best thing that happened in this deal was the dumping of Brickadola's contract.— DoctorLoads
- Shades of Jeff Ruland.— kingnutter
- I live in Los Angeles. When the Sixers fell for the Bynum trade, my friends were quick to point out that Bynum was damaged goods---both physically and mentally. How come the morons who run the Sixers didn't know they were getting a "loser"? It serves them right. 3 players and a #1 draft choice for Jason richardson. That's what happens when you go for the plum without checking it out completely. The Sixers will pay for this for years! With what they have up front, Allen and Hawes, they'd have a hard time matching up against Duke. Stupid move you idiots!— gentian
- Even if Bynum never plays for the sixers, they still dumped "overpaid for what he does" Iguodala (enjoy him, Denver). Worst case scenario? Tons of cap room.— ND7706
- Yeah - they "dumped" Iggy's contract (which is only one year longer than Bynum's) - but they also gave up THREE first round draft picks to do so (Vuc, Harkless and next year's). They alsotook on Richardson's contract. Dumping Iggy could have been much less painless!! Remember when Minnesota offered Kevin Love for Iggy? — Copper34
- The word is that the sixers knew Bynum in all likelihood would never play. The trade was made to dump iggys salary. Sixer management being diabolical as they are promoted the trade solely to trick us into buying season tickets this year.— joe3740
- Records of the principals in the trade at the time of this writing: Lakers 9-12, Denver 10-11, Orlando 8-12, Sixers 12-9. Who got taken? Jrue and ET have thrived because ET isn't here. Ty Lawson, meanwhile, has struggled with Iggy in the Denver backcourt. Vucevic seems like a nice kid and a journeyman ballplayer. Did I mention that Bayless thinks Tebow is the second coming of Johnny Unitas? Did I mention that we'll have $13 million extra in cap money after this season? And that's without Bynum playing a game...a situation that will change when he steps on the court and gives us the post presence we sorely need within two months.— iceman
- This is AIN'T NEW! The 76ers KNEW this b4 they made the deal! The GOOD NEWS WE have ONE year of this!— dudega
- no big deal. sixers weren't going anywhere with iggy, vuk, and harkless. mid-first round pick seldom is an impact player. they rolled the dice on the big man. now spend the cash wisely.— OldCoach
- The Lakers just lost to Cleveland and are 9-13— thankgodidontliveinphilly
- My mistake. I meant "because Iggy isn't here." I can buy the argument that the Sixers haven't been forthcoming because they wanted to sell tickets. Bottom line, though, is that the Sixers are better with the trade, will be better when they use the cap space and will be much, much better if Bynum plays.— iceman
- I believe nothing most of the nimrods on ESPN say. Besides, if Bynum is finished, they have plenty of caproom now to sign a difference maker in the offseason, which has probably been their plan all along. Again, the Bynum trade was a salary dump first and foremost. If the guy became a player, then great. If not, they no longer have Iguadola's contract holding them down. This team has a core group of young talented players. All they need is a finisher, and with the caproom they now have, they should be able to get that in free agency. He's only under contract for this year. And they gave up a couple of unproven guys to do it. Still a good trade no matter how you slice it.— Hemingway
- the lakers probably knew something more was wrong with him than what was publicized, but they just hid it so theyd get howard. the lakers not sending or giving fake medical records to the sixers would not surprise me one bit— HDemetriou
Keith Pompey has been an Inquirer reporter since September 2004. He takes over the Sixers beat after covering the Temple men’s basketball team for the past three years and Temple football the past two seasons. Pompey also previously covered the Penn and Drexel men’s basketball team and Villanova football team after initially focusing on high school sports.
Pompey is a native Philadelphian and a University of Pittsburgh. Follow him on Twitter @PompeyOnSixers or reach Keith at kpompey@phillynews.com.
ABOUT MARC NARDUCCI
Marc Narducci has served in a variety of roles with the Inquirer since beginning in 1983. He has covered the 76ers as a backup and a beat writer. In addition, Narducci has covered everything from the Super Bowl to the World Series and a lot in between. Narducci also has a true passion for South Jersey scholastic sports, which he has covered for many years.
