Andrew Bynum tried to make his NBA comeback last season with both Cleveland and Indiana, following a year of rehabilitation while technically employed by the Sixers.
Bynum appeared in 24 games for the Cavaliers, before unprofessionalism got the better of him and he was eventually kept away from all team activities. He was then traded to Chicago in the deal that brought Luol Deng to Cleveland, but the Bulls were only interested in salary cap relief, and Bynum was waived shortly thereafter.
The Pacer took a chance on Bynum as a form of insurance for their postseason run, but his continual knee issues kept him off the court for all but two appearances, and the team and Bynum eventually parted ways a couple of weeks after the playoffs began.
Bynum won’t be of any use to anyone until he gets right physically, and he intends to take next season off in order to try to do that. But if and when he’s able to return, a natural landing place for him might just be with Phil Jackson and the New York Knicks.
From Marc Berman of the New York Post:The 7-foot Bynum may not be reuniting with Phil Jackson’s Knicks or any other team next season because he is seriously contemplating sitting out 2014-15 to undergo the Germany-based knee therapy called “The Regenokine Program’’ that would require an extra long rehab, according to his agent David Lee. But he could be in play for the following season. ...
“If he’s healthy, Phil will be interested,’’ Lee told The Post. “Phil knew how to tap into Andrew. They got along famously.’’ ...
“He would be looking at in a longer-term situation,’’ Lee said. “He’s still a baby. If he went to college, he’d be coming off his rookie contract at age 26.’’Bynum will continue to intrigue teams because of his sheer physical presence, the same way Greg Oden got another shot with Miami last season after years of being unable to play. But he hasn’t been able to contribute meaningful minutes over the course of a season since 2012, and the further away we get from what was his best season as a pro, the less likely it seems he’ll be able to regain that form -- whether with Jackson and the Knicks, or anywhere else.
