Lakers to pick up option on final year of Andrew Bynum’s contract

The Los Angeles Lakers plan to exercise the $16.1 million team option on the last year of center Andrew Bynum’s contract.

"He's the starting center on the West All-Star team. Why wouldn't we do everything we could to keep him here?" Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak said, per The Times. "We're ecstatic to have him on the team."

Since next season is the last of Bynum’s current deal, the Lakers must negotiate a new contract with him before the 2012-13 season ends, or he’ll become a free agent that summer.

Bynum’s having the best of his seven seasons in the NBA, averaging career highs in points (18.1 per game) and rebounds (12.9), to go with 2.0 blocks and 57.1 percent field-goal shooting. After several injury-plagued campaigns, he’s also been able to stay healthy this season, starting in all 41 of the Lakers’ games so far.