Andrew Bynum's season that never started ends with double knee surgery

Andrew Bynum may never suit up for the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers announced Monday that Bynum will undergo arthroscopic surgery on both knees Tuesday, and he'll miss the rest of the season. Doctors will clean out loose debris in Bynum's knees "in an attempt to alleviate pain and swelling."

"After many months of rehabilitation and consulting with numerous doctors, Andrew and the doctors treating him determined that this is the best course of action at this point," Sixers general manager Tony DiLeo said in a statement on the team's website. "We will continue to monitor and evaluate his status moving forward."

Bynum is a free agent at the end of the season. If Philadelphia isn't willing to pay him, someone will.

Earlier this month, ESPN reported that Bynum didn't want to play in pain, and there was a chance he would miss the whole season.

The former Lakers center told reporters that he "experienced swelling and discomfort in his right knee after" his first practice in early March -- his first since the trade to the Sixers over the summer.

"It's getting late. I don't know [about playing this season]," Bynum told reporters . "I don't want to play in pain. ... I'm 25, it's my life."

The Sixers dealt away Nikola Vucevic, Moe Harkless, Andre Iguodala and a first-round pick to get Bynum in the blockbuster trade that sent Dwight Howard to the Lakers. The deal is looking like a major bust for the Sixers.

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