Andrew Bynum defiant as trade rumours at the Los Angeles Lakers persist – NBA Update
The fallout from Chris Paul’s failed move from the New Orleans Hornets to the Los Angeles Lakers continues with even Andrew Bynum now unsafe at Los Angeles.
The star has been linked with an exit from the Lakers in a revised move for Paul, but he says he doesn’t mind the speculation.
"It's been that way for me now for the past four years," Bynum said. "I've been in every trade rumour I think, so I don't even think about them. It doesn't matter. I just show up and I play for this team because that's the team
I'm a part of.”
Los Angeles were involved in a three-way trade that would have brought Chris to the Lakers in exchange of Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom, but that was shot down by NBA Commissioner David Stern, who at that time was acting as the owner
of Hornets. Many small market owners vehemently protested at a deal they saw as massively beneficial to the large market Lakers, with Dan Gilbert of the Cleveland Cavaliers writing a strongly worded email to the commissioner.
The Lakers though seem determined to get their man and have seemingly revived talks with the Hornets and Houston Rockets, the third team in the trade that were to receive Pau Gasol, in order to work their way around some of the
issues raised.
Now it turns out that Andrew Bynum could be offered alongside Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol in order to make the trade go through, but the player is not panicking at the prospect of being forced out.
He has been linked with a move away from the storied franchise throughout his career and says it doesn’t bother him anymore.
"I'm not shook up about it. If I'm here tomorrow, it's great. If I'm not, it's still great. I still get to play basketball. So, it will just be for someone else." He said, as quoted by ESPN.
Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol meanwhile were not at all pleased with how things had transpired and both players did not take part in training on Friday.
Super star shooting guard Kobe Bryant said the team was a little taken aback and there was some shock over the current situation following the failed trade, but he was confident they had it in them to get over it sooner rather
than later.
"I'm sure it's a little tough at first when you first hear it, kind of the whole shock of the whole situation, but after that, they'll get over it," Bryant said. "You don't win back-to-back championships while being soft emotionally,
that's not the case."
Lakers General Manager also spoke with the players ahead of training to try and bring clarity to the situation.
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