Andrew Bynum Likely to be Released by Cavaliers

Photo by nba.si.com

Photo by nba.si.com

Once considered one of the top centers in the NBA, Andrew Bynum has fallen so far that the Cleveland Cavaliers are set to release him. Worse, not because of injuries, but because of attitude problems.

Bynum was suspended without pay for Sunday’s game at Boston, costing him about $110,000. And although the suspension was lifted, he will remain exiled from the Cavaliers while being paid, the team said Sunday. The 26-year-old former all-star  is excused from all team activities indefinitely.

In 24 games this season (19 starts), Bynum averaged 8.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 20 minutes per game. Finally showing signs of becoming healthy again after knee troubles that sidelined him all of last season, the Cavs are disenchanted with his presence, calling him a “disruptive” force, disrespecting coaches.

He’s shot 41.9 percent from the field, well off his career pace of 55.7 percent, and he went 0-of-11 versus the Pistons on Dec. 23. In his last game against the Hawks, he finished with four points in 18 minutes.

Other teams are reported interested in signing Bynum should Cleveland release him. They include the two-time champion Miami Heat.

Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said: “It’s an internal matter. I know you guys can respect that. Not trying to be funny but you know what indefinite means.”

It means Bynum will never wear a Cavs uniform again.

Democracy needs journalism it can trust.

This election season, the stakes are higher than usual — and so is the pressure on newsrooms to soften their coverage, stay quiet, or just disappear. Independent reporting, the kind that answers to readers instead of advertisers or political pressure, matters more in a moment like this, not less.

For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed independent and reader-funded. We have no corporate owner and no shareholders telling us what to cover or how to cover it. That independence is also our biggest vulnerability: nothing protects it except readers choosing to fund it directly.

Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under in a moment like this, it's rarely the independent, reader-funded ones that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Back to top