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Philadelphia 76ers center Andrew Bynum to have season-ending surgery on both knees

Philadelphia 76ers center Andrew Bynum will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his knees Tuesday and miss the rest of the season, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

The primary focus of the procedure will be to clean out loose debris in the knees, a source told Yahoo! Sports.

Bynum, 25, was the centerpiece of the 76ers blockbuster deal in the summer, and it's possible he'll never play a game for the franchise. Bynum has missed the entire season with knee problems and will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. He made $16.9 million this season in the final year of his contract.

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The 76ers are torn on how they'll proceed in offering Bynum a contract to stay with the franchise, as are potential suitors around the league. The Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks have the salary-cap space and need to make a serious bid for Bynum.

Bynum has degenerative knee problems and his career could be in jeopardy. After two knee surgeries in his sometimes spectacular seven-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, Bynum came to the Sixers as part of a three-way deal with Orlando that sent Dwight Howard to the Lakers.

The Sixers gave up promising young players, Nik Vucevic and Mo Harkless to the Magic, and sent All-Star Andre Iguodala to the Denver Nuggets as part of the deal.

After believing that Bynum could help the Sixers contend with the elite of the Eastern Conference, the franchise is 25-40 and could be headed for significant changes in their front office and coaching staffs, sources said.

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