The Cleveland Cavaliers are feeling a little less panicked than they were just a few days ago. Star Kyrie Irving is officially day-to-day with a minor knee contusion. The injury status regarding the point guard had the team rushing trade talks for center Andrew Bynum with the Los Angeles Lakers. Now, it appears both sides are pulling back a little on the move.
The Los Angeles Times and beat writer David Aldridge are now reporting that after talks appeared to get serious regarding a potential Pau Gasol-Bynum swap, the trade is unlikely to happen anymore. The Cavaliers had suspended Bynum due to conduct detrimental to the team and all signs pointed to the center having played his final game in Cleveland. Bynum was immediately placed on the trade block with several teams interested, but now that list has gotten incredibly short.
Bynum has a contract that makes a trade very easy. A team can acquire him and then release him before Jan. 7 when he is owed just over $12 million in guaranteed cash. Any team would then pay him just $6 million and end up saving big time. That is what spurred the Lakers interest in the first place. Gasol is in the final year of his contract. Trading him now could save the team a ton of money instead of letting him walk away at the end of the year which is most likely what will happen. The Cavaliers are serious about getting to the postseason and Gasol can make that happen.
Right now, this trade is going nowhere and if the January deadline passes, then Bynum is really going nowhere. The issue could be the Lakers demands. The team is unwilling to just swap players. They want assets in return, presumably another young player and/or draft picks along with Bynum.
Also out of the Bynum race is the Miami Heat. The defending champions are stalking up on size in order to get past the Indiana Pacers. They had shown some interest in Bynum, but a trade for the center would mean a release of someone else on the roster. The Heat intend to remain committed to players like Michael Beasley and Greg Oden. Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today reports the team is no longer interested in dedicating time to re-develop Bynum.
The Chicago Bulls are also out. The team had inquired about a trade involving Luol Deng who like Gasol has an expiring contract. The Chicago Tribune reports that while the Bulls could save a lot of money by trading for Bynum, they are likely planning on keeping Deng in hopes of making it to the playoffs. Getting rid of Deng would set them up for the future, but take them out of postseason contention in 2014.
So Bynum stays with the Cavaliers on paid leave. Will the center return to the court? That feels like a longshot, but so does a trade.