Indiana Pacers center Andrew Bynum hopes to be cleared to play this week and could make his Pacers debut on Friday against the Philadelphia 76ers, according to Candace Buckner of The Indianapolis Star.

Bynum signed with the Pacers in January after being traded from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Chicago Bulls, only to be waived by Chicago. Bynum has been working with Indiana's training staff to get back into shape and build up his knee strength, and the injury-riddled big man participated in a full practice on Saturday. Pacers head coach Frank Vogel said Bynum will be re-evaluated on Monday.

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Bynum signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the offseason after not playing a single game with the Sixers last year due to his knee troubles. The 26-year-old averaged 8.4 points and 5.3 rebounds in 24 games for the Cavs, but things went south thanks to his erratic behavior.

Bynum's commitment to basketball has been questioned in the past, but if he keeps his head on straight and stays relatively healthy, he could be of some use to Indiana. He's another big body to use against the Miami Heat, and the Pacers' bench could certainly use some help in general.

If Bynum does return in Philadelphia, it could make for an interesting scene considering how things played out with the Sixers last season.