Free agent center Andrew Bynum has agreed to a two-year, $24 million contract deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers, according to sources.
Bynum's deal is said to have a team option for the second year and only $6 million of the contract is guaranteed. He made the decision Wednesday night after three consecutive days of meetings with the Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks and Dallas Mavericks.
Neither Atlanta nor Dallas, according to sources close to the talks, made Bynum a formal offer after their respective sitdowns with him.
Bynum missed the entire 2012-13 season with the Philadelphia 76ers because of a lingering knee injury. In order for him to collect the full $12 million in the first year of the deal, he'll need to reach a variety of health and games-related benchmarks.
With Bynum on the roster to go along with star guard Kyrie Irving, the Cavaliers' attempt to lure LeBron James back to Cleveland will appear more attractive should Bynum exceed expectations and prove to be a success.
James joined the Miami Heat as a free agent in July 2010, announcing his free-agency move from the Cleveland Cavaliers, in a nationally televised ESPN hour-long special.
It's been widely speculated that James plans to return to his former Cavaliers team after praising Irving.
Since James' departure, Irving has given Cavaliers fans a reason to still be hopeful about the future after two disappointing seasons. Irving slowly became the face of the franchise after two seasons where he averaged 20.9 points per game, playing 32 minutes a night.
When asked about the possibility of playing with James, Irving insists that the thought never crossed his mind.
However, the combination would make for an interesting duo in the NBA, but we'll just have to just wait and see what happens.
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