Does Andrew Bynum Deserve the Max?
This is the year when the Class of 2005 first-round draftees can cash in with their first big-money contract extensions. Chris Paul rightfully kicked things off by agreeing to a four-year extension with the Hornets (player-option on the fourth year) worth $68 million, and word is Deron Williams could sign a maximum-length extension with Utah for five years between $80 and $90 million total.
So where does that leave Andrew Bynum? The 10th overall pick of the ‘05 draft has become arguably the third most valuable player in the class (Monta Ellis, a second-round pick who is a free agent this summer, is in the discussion along with Indiana’s Danny Granger) and is a candidate for a monster contract extension with the Lakers. Bynum averaged 13.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game this year, but only played in 35 games due to a midseason knee injury that turned out to be much worse than anyone initially anticipated.
Bynum had plenty of shining moments before he got hurt — like giving Amare Stoudemire 28 points and 12 boards on Christmas Day, or lighting up Andrew Bogut (the No. 1 pick in ‘05) for 25 and 17 in January — and at the end of the day is still a 20-year-old seven-footer with lots of potential. But Bynum also has a history of injuries dating back to high school, and his star turn in ‘07-08 was literally just a half-a-season long.
Bynum’s agent has gone on record saying he’s seeking a max deal for his client in the CP/Deron range money-wise, plus a five-year time commitment. If you’re the Lakers, do you open up the checkbook for Bynum like that? Is he worth a maximum deal?
July 7th, 2008 at 11:36 am
yallallreadyknow says:
hells no!
andrew bynum is OVERRATED…if he was in milwaukee (switched with bogut), would any of you even know his name/face?
he had 5 good weeks last season; that dont warrant max money.
he only started cause kwame brown got hurt…imagine that, he couldnt even win the starting job over kwame during preseason
i’d still trade his backside TODAY for jason kidd
July 7th, 2008 at 11:45 am
Truth says:
yallallreadyknow
Jason Kidd??? GTFOH
I was with you all the way until you said they should trade dude for a over 30 point gaurd who can’t gaurd anyone and has lost not a step, but two or three steps!
I agree with you on the Bynum overrated statement though. Dude don’t warrant a Max contract at all!! Period!!
July 7th, 2008 at 11:46 am
shake&bake says:
I think you have to wait to see if he can come back at a high level before you throw him max money. Also you have to wonder if he’ll stay motivated to continue improving if he’s already got a maxed out contract at such a young age.
July 7th, 2008 at 11:56 am
jimmhumm says:
I think i would show him 60 over 5. No way he gets more than jamison. He still has a lot of potential. He will be good soon. You can’t teach height. Kwame brown is done but Andrew is just beginning to come into his own.
He doesn’t get the 100mil and 80 mil Brand deserves just yet. L.A. still has Gasol, Odom, Bryant to worry about paying.
July 7th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
K Dizzle says:
lmao @ post 1 – You know who Bogut is so why wouldn’t you know who AB was if he was puttin up 13 and 10 and 2 at 62%
If dude is healthy, he’s gonna get stupid cash from some team with too much cap space anyways. A 7 footer with 2 1/2 years experience at the age of 20 with his averages. We kept dude despite Kobe’s objections so if he’s healthy, he’s gettin paid regardless.
Put it in perspective: D Diop is gettin 31M over 5yrs for averaging 3pts, 5 rbs and 1 blk
July 7th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
NYCBalla says:
Because I hate the Lakers, YES…..offer him a max contract. If he was on my team no way would I offer him that big of a contract. He has definite potential, but he hasn’t proved himself – 1/2 season isn’t enough. He is in now way the same caliber player as D-Will & CP3.
July 7th, 2008 at 12:06 pm
DO says:
no, he has done nothing or proved nothing to suggest that he’s a max player
July 7th, 2008 at 12:10 pm
Kobeef says:
I agree that Bynum didn’t earn it but the sad reality is that there are so few guys like him that you need to overpay to keep him. Also, despite his injuries you can’t argue with 13, 10 and 2 which is right up there with the best 5’s in the league.
Dwight Howard is considered the best young 5 in the NBA and Bynum is bigger than Dwight, has the same or better (probably better) offensive game so by that assessment Bynum is in elite company.
July 7th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
Ross says:
Max? No. A good contract, but not max.
July 7th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
Celts Fan, "Kobe, Tell me how my @$$ tastes" says:
unfortunately for the Lakers, they almost have to pay him, though personally I’d offer the 5 year, $60M deal someone else suggested and remnd his agent that it’ll be up when he’s still only 25 or 26, so if he’s as good as he seems, he’ll get maxed out then, when he’s actually earned it. (then, when they say no, LA will have to overpay. It’s better to overpay someone you need than to lose them.)
July 7th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
jay rich says:
im a die hard laker fan i wanna see them win a championship without shaq (that would be kobe’s response) but there is no way you give a kid who has never played a full season on any level a max contract chris paul didnt get one and bynums not close but hey if he gets ii then his agent will be one of the more sought after agents in the game
July 7th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
GEE...be still boy no need for static says:
nawwwwwww man. Dude to injury prone and he ain’t a max deal dude yet. I am like this. Get through a whole season and give me 20-10 or at least 20 – 8 and then we can peak at a max deal.
If pimpin can’t do none of that, sorry no max deal.
July 7th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
Yoooo says:
Hell no. period.
July 7th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
JayTea says:
Im not really sure how the contracts work, but can they give him an incentive based contract? Play so many games get X$ score so many points get X$ seems like ALL contracts should be that way.
July 7th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
Michorizo says:
I can barely average 20 and 10 on NBA Live 08 with Bynum so I say No …
July 7th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
Kermit the Washington says:
Bad move…this kid has sick potential, but you don’t offer a max deal for “potential”, especially when dude has proven that he’s possibly injury prone. Prove yourself for a year or 2 kid, and THEN maybe you can pull the max deal you want.
July 7th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
Ian says:
bynum lol hell no
im with post 1 till trading him for kidd
its not because of bynum but because kidd sucks
kobeef
gtfoh hes not in that company
like someone said im no laker fan so give his ass a max contract as long as its not my team.
kdizzle
shit if u gonna use diop for that then bynum will get a 100 mil per season
diop is there for defense man
and i rather have bogut dont know why maybe the injuries to bynum
July 7th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
kobekold says:
i am a lil biased cuz me an bynum are the same age!!! i dont say 80 or a 100 mill cause he can get that contract if he does his thing. i know the nba is about business but he really should be worried bout gettin rings. that should be his numba one. gettin better while playin with kobe in his prime. he will get 200 mill if he can sit with management an say he helped win a couple chips. thats the ultimate bargainin tool.
July 7th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
Junio says:
No. Max should go to the best player on a yearly-basis contender.
The Laks already have a max player on Kobe Bryant.
July 7th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
Spliff 2 My Lou says:
JayTea is on the right track. All contracts should have some type of incentive clause in them. You get a guaranteed salary sort of like a signing bonus every season but a majority of your season salary would be based on incentives. Hell you could even throw in some type of profit sharing clause. There’s no way the Players Assoc. would go for it but that’s the way it should be.
That’s how 99% of the business outside of professional sports work. Why should the NBA be any different?
July 7th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
DaPro says:
Not worth the Max deal just yet but clearly the Lakers
will throw the max at him considering they didn’t trade for Kidd
Damn ya’ll killing JKidd. He had a bad series against CP3, one of the best players in the game
July 7th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
doc says:
5 and 60 sound good enough to me.
July 7th, 2008 at 3:01 pm
Coop says:
incentives dont happen in this league because there’s usually always at least 1 gm willing to overpay.
of course bynum doesnt ‘deserve’ max or anything close on merit but as others have said, big men with any real quality are rare so it’s possible he’ll get it. if this was a league with integrity he’d be told where to ram it but it isnt and he wont.
July 7th, 2008 at 8:28 pm
dagwaller says:
Best post I’ve ever read by yallalreadyknow. I’d give him the years, but not the money. He hasn’t shown anything yet, but both parties owe it to each other to show some loyalty here – it’d be the smart move on both sides.
July 7th, 2008 at 10:48 pm
Danny says:
I think Bynum showed that he’s real, real close to being, at worst, the 3rd center in the league. Somebody’ll throw him the big dough, and you know the Lakers’ll be down to match it.
Yeah, he probably “deserves” 60 over 5 like y’all are saying. But he’s probably going to deserve more, so long as he stays healthy. And given his age, size, and skills he’ll get what he’s probably going to deserve.
I love the kid. He’ll have a better line than Gasol next year.
July 8th, 2008 at 1:38 am
tealish says:
This was a retarded article. Andrew freaking Bynum? Max player? Did I read that right? Dime, you’re better than this.
July 8th, 2008 at 2:04 am
Talented says:
No. He was ballin b4 he got hurt but not that ballin. You don’t get max after sittin a whole season injuries or not.
July 8th, 2008 at 4:02 am
Dave says:
Lakers won’t pay him until next summer and they shouldn’t. Give it 12 months, let him prove his health and see more of his game. If he didn’t get injured he’d likely be worth the max on potential.