During Mitch Kupchak’s press conference following team exit interviews Wednesday at the Lakers practice facility in El Segundo, the team General Manager was asked about center Andrew Bynum and how the team was going to approach him in the off-season.
Bynum has a team option that the Lakers can pick up for $16.1 million that will keep him with the Lakers next season. During the press conference, Kupchak stated that that was indeed the team’s plan.
Mitch Kupchak indicates that the Lakers will pick up the option on Andrew Bynum’s contract for next season.
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) May 24, 2012
Bynum has been surrounded by controversy and trade rumors for much of the season, and that isn’t expected to slow down after the Lakers were eliminated in the second round for the second consecutive year. Still, he is a proven commodity that Los Angeles would be foolish to let go.