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Trading Bynum doesn't add up for Lakers


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Andrew Bynum had one of his best games of his entire five-year career as a Los Angeles Laker on Sunday.

 

The question is, was it one of his last games as a Laker?

 

On the same day a story was published in the New York Post suggesting Los Angeles may be prepared to offer Bynum to the Toronto Raptors in a deal for Chris Bosh, the Lakers' 22-year old center -- considered to be the cornerstone of the franchise's future -- pumped in 17 points, a career-high 18 rebounds and three blocks to lift L.A. to a 95-77 win over Milwaukee.

 

The contribution couldn't have come at a better time for the Lakers. Pau Gasol missed his fourth straight game with a strained left hamstring and three other Los Angeles starters all chose the same night to have one of their worst offensive nights of the season -- Kobe Bryant scored 12 on 4-for-21 shooting, Lamar Odom finished with five on 1-for-4 shooting and Ron Artest scored just two on 1-for-2 shooting.

 

Bynum outscored the whole Bucks team 12-8 in the first quarter. It seemed like he was out to make a statement from the start, single-handedly scoring the Lakers first five field goals and displaying his full repertoire by splashing a couple mid-range jumpers, crashing the boards for a put-back layup and rising up to throw down an alley-oop and a put-back slam.

 

But Bynum says there wasn't any extra motivation.

 

"What rumor is that?" Bynum asked when he was questioned if the trade speculation had sparked him to play the way he did on Sunday.

 

When he was told it was for Bosh, a four-time All-Star and Olympic gold medal-winning teammate of Bryant, he replied with his patented phrase:

 

"Oh, that's crazy."

 

Is it that crazy?

 

The Post story quotes Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo as "not seeking a deal or discussing Bosh with any team, much less the Lakers," but wouldn't it be crazier for Toronto to wait around and hope that Bosh doesn't opt out of the final year of his contract this summer instead of shipping him for a sure thing before the Feb. 18 trade deadline?

 

"I don't even care," Bynum said. "I love playing basketball. I'll play this game anywhere. It's not the first time that it's happened to me, so I'm used to it."

 

Lakers head coach Phil Jackson called Bynum the "dominant big guy" on Sunday, and he was. It was his third-straight double-double after going on a 23-game drought without accomplishing the feat.

 

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