MENU
The Minnesota Timberwolves and power forward Anthony Bennett have finalized a buyout agreement, making the former #1 overall draft pick a new NBA free agent.
Minnesota forward Anthony Bennett has reached agreement on a contract buyout, soon to free him on waivers, league sources tell Yahoo.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 22, 2015
Bennett was originally drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers as the top pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. Bennett played sparingly during his rookie season before being traded with Andrew Wiggins to Minnesota for Kevin Love last summer. Bennett never locked down a consistent role with the T’Wolves, who are chock full of talent across the roster. The two sides agreed to a mutual buyout, which will then allow the talented forward to find a better situation elsewhere. The big question is where does Anthony Bennett go from here? Luckily there are already a few teams that have expressed interest, while a few more could make some sense. Let’s break down Bennett’s top five potential suitors as we try to pinpoint where he might end up playing next season:
Portland Trail Blazers
Portland lost LaMarcus Aldridge this summer and while they did bring in talented big men like Mason Plumlee and Noah Vonleh, a rebuilding team can never gather enough talent. The Blazerd don’t expect to be overly competitive this year, but with the right bodies in place they can assess what they have and build toward a better 2016-17 NBA season. Bennett has ties to Portland’s coaching staff and per Marc Stein, they could be the top contender already.
Growing suspicion around league is that Anthony Bennett will wind up in Portland … where his Team Canada coach Jay Triano is an assistant — Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) September 22, 2015
Philadelphia 76ers
The Sixers are the only other team that reportedly could flat out claim Bennett while he’s on the NBA waiver wire. The Sixers drafted Jahlil Okafor in this year’s draft and have the talented Nerlens Noel for down low, but with Joel Embiid’s health a huge question mark, they’re otherwise hard up for talented bigs. Bennett has his flaws, but he is a solid offensive player and still has tons of untapped potential. He’d be a nice addition for a losing team that is still trying to put the right pieces together.
Atlanta Hawks
Mike Scott is the only big man the Hawks can really rely on at the four spot these days, yet he may never play again thanks to drug charges off the court. That’s where Anthony Bennett could come in, as he brings a very similar skill-set to the table. Like anywhere he’d go, Bennett would have to prove his conditioning and consistency are up to snuff in order to carve out a regular role, but on the surface this looks like a solid match.
Toronto Raptors
Toronto let Amir Johnson walk in free agency and now they’re paying for it, as they have just Patrick Patterson and Luis Scola at the four spot. Both of those players are more experienced and reliable than Bennett, but a team with little depth down low should be interested in adding a player that has the talent that got him drafted #1 overall just a few years ago. Bennett could continue to learn off the bench and eventually develop into a steal for the Raptors.
Phoenix Suns
With all of the Markieff Morris trade rumors going on, it’s quite possible the Suns could be in the market for a big man who can score the ball. Bennett has certainly had his issues with staying in shape and consistently producing, but no one can deny his offensive game. With range out to the three, Bennett could be a poor man’s version of Morris and could help pick up some of the slack on offense should Morris leave town.
*photo credit – ballislife.com
