Agent says Lakers' Bynum wants maximum contract extension 12:01 AM PDT on Tuesday, July 1, 2008 By BRODERICK TURNER The Press-Enterprise While the Lakers were making an announcement about their intentions to keep restricted free agents Sasha Vujacic and Ronny Turiaf, Andrew Bynum's agent announced his client's intentions. Bynum can get a contract extension this summer from the Lakers. When his agent was told that Bynum suggested he would be willing to take less than the maximum of five years, $80 million, David Lee said they would be seeking the maximum. "He was talking as a 20-year-old," Lee said in a telephone interview Monday. "He had not consulted with his representatives. I think the Lakers know how we feel about this." The Lakers extended qualifying offers to Vujacic and Turiaf on Monday, which allows the team to establish a right of first refusal. If Vujacic, whose offer was for about $2.6 million, and Turiaf, whose offer was for about $1.3 million, sign an offer sheet with another team, the Lakers can match the offer and retain them. Both Vujacic and Turiaf are seeking long-term deals and hope their agents can come to an agreement with the Lakers. The free-agent shopping period started at 9:01 p.m. Monday; players can't sign contracts until July 9. Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said recently he would begin negotiations Monday night. The Lakers could have a potential dilemma with Bynum. He missed the final 46 regular-season games after he suffered a knee injury. He had arthroscopic surgery May 21 to remove some cartilage debris and smoothing some rough spots on the underside of the knee. Bynum, a 7-foot, 285-pound center, has said he should be ready to start training by the second or third week of July. "The ball is in their court," Lee said. "They've got a decision to make. The question is whether they believe in him the way I believe in him. It's their decision to make if they want him there for the future." Bynum averaged career highs in points (13.1) and rebounds (10.2) last season. But he has played in just 163 games in three seasons. "I don't think the Lakers have anything to worry about with Andrew's physical condition," Lee said. "The only thing is he wants to stay in the purple and gold. It's in their court." http://www.pe.com/sports/basketball/lakers/stories/PE_Sports_Local_S_web_lakers_01.4713233.html
He's gonna be outta a Lakers uniform before the end of the month. No way the Lakers give him anywhere near that kind of money.
The article seems to say that Bynum wants to stay and isn't requesting the max, but his agent steps forward (as he must, I suppose) like a defense attorney: "Uh, let me confer with my client, what he meant to say was, NOT guilty." That is, "Kid, let me do the talking." Bynum isn't worth that kind of money. Every tall kid who plays halfway decent ball seems to command these huge pay raises. But factor in that his isn't the marquee name: KOBE BRYANT and Phil Jackson starring in THE LAKERS with Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Andrew Bynum, Sasha Vujacic, Jordan Farmar special appearances by Luke Walton, Ronny Turiaf, Vladimir Radmanovic And we'll see how this turns out. Plus, the kid's been hurt. He poured it on t prove Kobe wrong, fine, but might have pushed himself into an early exit for the season.
This has to be a joke. I've always been a defender of Bynum but there simply is no explanation for this kind of audacity on part of his camp.
It's very obvious this is a negotiating ploy. It almost makes the agent look foolish. No way Bynum gets $80 million and everyone in the world knows it. Don't take this public blast of hot air too seriously.
Why not? Rashard Lewis got 120+ millions. The agent is doing his best job. U only have to run into a moron GM and your wish will come true. The fact is there are lots of moron GMs around this league. Landry's agent is screaming for full MLE too.
Actually that wasn't a "contract year" for him. He's still under for this year and possibly the next if no extension is signed.
heh, Bynum is going to make the big bucks. But I can't see offering Bynum anything more than 7-8 million a year for a 5 year contract. Even then that's too much for him.
I agree. Personally, I think he's going to get the extension. Maybe not this summer, but as soon as they see that he's good again. In preparation for that, I easily see them shipping out Odom to save some cash.
