Andrew Bynum is a beast, so why isn’t Orlando interested?

Bynum has always showed flashes of brilliance well before this season.

In just his second season (2006-2007 season) in the league at 19 years of age he had a stretch of 3 games were he averaged 14 rebounds and 4 blocks per game; a small sample but early signs of his potential.

In the following NBA season (2007-2008) Bynum put together a much longer string of dominant games when he averaged 17 points, 11 rebounds while shooting 70 % from the field over the course of 14 games.

In probably the most impressive string of performances in the early part of his career, Bynum averaged 26 points, 14 rebounds, 3 blocks and shot 65% from the field during a string of 5 games in the 2008-2009 season. This string included a career high 42 points against the Clippers on January 21, 2009.

Bynum is currently in one of those dominant strings except this is one that has spanned over the course of the whole season.

This season he is averaging a career high 17.6 points per game and 12.7 rebounds per game which ranks 3rd overall in the NBA. He has worked up to being the number 2 option offensively on the Lakers over Pau Gasol and became an NBA all star for the first time in his career.

With the current season that Bynum is having he has solidify his spot as the 2nd best center in basketball. With his current string of games he is even beginning to close the gap between 2nd and 1st.

Considering all of that has transpired this season regarding Bynum’s emergence and combine that with the definitive statements that Dwight Howard has made about wanting out in Orlando, how the heck is it that the Orlando Magic brass is not jumping on making the trade for each other?

From all indications, Dwight has already made his decision to bolt from Orlando at the first opportunity. To this point he has made no statement that would make anybody believe that he has any interest in staying in Orlando beyond this year.

The fact that everybody knows that Dwight wants out the Magic’s front office should have little to no leverage in any negotiations.

They want draft picks, young talent and rid themselves of some bad contracts?

Great, Cleveland wants to be located next to an ocean and have an average temperature of 75 degrees year round in order to attract free agents, but they can’t have that. They’re stuck in the middle of country with miserable weather and little prospects of attracting big name free agents in the future.

Reports are that the Lakers would make a Bynum for Dwight Howard trade in a second. They just won’t make a trade to give up more which makes sense. Taking into account Orlando’s lack of leverage and what’s currently available in the trade market, a Bynum straight up for Dwight Howard trade deal is completely fair. Maybe the Lakers could throw in a 1st round draft pick to sweeten the pot a little but that’s it.

However, if I am Lakers management and holding the trade chip of Bynum, I am not biting so quickly. After what Bynum has shown this season I am holding firm and giving up Bynum straight up for Dwight only.

If I am Orlando I am taking the deal with little hesitation.

It’s blatantly obvious for everyone to see what the best move is for the Magic.

We all know that the Magic need to mitigate their losses and get something for Dwight before he walks in the off-season.

We all know there are 2 teams that will have the cap room to sign him outright this off-season in Dallas and New Jersey. Dwight has made overtures about signing in these two locations.

We all can see what a beast that Bynum has become. We see that while Bynum is not at the level of Dwight Howard, he the closest thing in this league to him and isn’t too far off.

We can see that Bynum is a center that you can build your team around and a great get if you stand on losing a player of the caliber at the center position as Dwight Howard.

We see what the obvious move is here.

So why does it appear that the Magic don’t see this?

– Fern Rea “@fullcourtfern”