Andrew Bynum will not play for the Pacers for the remainder of the playoffs, the team announced, noting that the center will “not be with the team” going forward. That he will no longer play this season is no surprise, since he hadn’t made an appearance on the court since March 15th as he’s dealt with ongoing knee trouble. Still, the team’s seeming dismissal of Bynum is noteworthy.
“We want to thank Andrew and our medical staff for trying to get the issues with his knee resolved,” as Pacers president of basketball operations Larry Bird said in a statement from the team. “We wish him the best in the future.”
Bynum will remain on the team’s roster, though his contract expires June 30th. The Pacers signed the former All-Star for $1MM on February 1st, but he only played in two games. He’s nonetheless attended practices and games, though he hasn’t been around the team since its first-round series against the Hawks, as Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star points out (Twitter link).