Lakers' pivotal deal is done

Talk about increasing your kid's allowance . . .

Andrew Bynum was like a colt when he got here at 17, all arms, legs and wide eyes, with no lines in his face or clues about what he was in for.

He's definitely a grown man now, 21 years old (since Monday) with a $57.4-million contract extension (since Thursday).

It was a bold move by the Lakers, who had all the leverage and could have waited this season to see if there were any complications from the arthroscopic surgery on Bynum's left knee.

On the other hand, with an average salary of $14.35 million instead of the maximum $17 million, the Lakers just got about a $10-million discount over four seasons (three guaranteed, the fourth at the team's option, limiting its exposure in case of catastrophic injury).

Add in another $10 million in luxury tax and the Lakers just saved about $20 million.

Of course, the injury poses a risk, but which of their players doesn't run a risk every time he goes out there?

Aside from that, it's party time in Lakerdom. Do you remember when Greg Oden was considered the best young big man since Tim Duncan or Shaquille O'Neal?

Nowadays that's Bynum.

Only two seasons ago, Bynum still represented a point of contention within the Lakers organization. With owner Jerry Buss saving money to pay his kids' estate tax on the franchise, there were more people than Kobe Bryant who wondered if the owner was willing to go all-in, as he always had.

It was a sensitive point that led to a curious silence. Teams rarely err on the discreet side with prospects, especially young 7-footers, but if someone praised Bynum, all General Manager Mitch Kupchak would say was, "We'll see."

I finally wrote a column in January 2007, midway through Bynum's second season, projecting him as an "Oden-level prospect."

The operative word was level. As promising as Bynum looked with left- and right-handed jump hooks, great hands, nimble feet and a feel for the game (on opening night he had hit two teammates going backdoor with bounce passes for layups), it never occurred to me he was as good as Oden.

There were other NBA people who glimpsed Bynum's possibilities -- notably New York's Isiah Thomas, who asked if he was available the day after the Lakers drafted him -- but they were few and far between.

(One GM I asked to compare Oden and Bynum told me gently that Oden was really going to be great. I think it was a polite way of telling me to get a clue.)