ESPN’s Jeff Goodman reports Bennett, who is originally from Canada, will sign with the Toronto Raptors.
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The Philadelphia 76ers and Portland Trail Blazers could have claimed Bennett using cap space, while the Cleveland Cavaliers could have used a trade exception to absorb Bennett.
The Timberwolves reportedly bought out the 22-year-old Bennett’s contract to the tune of $3.6 million.
He was scheduled to make $5.8 million this season with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
All of those players figured to make finding consistent playing time a challenge for Bennett, so he sought his release to join a team where he might be able to fill a defined role. Declining the option would have made Bennett an unrestricted free agent at season’s end, meaning if he did break through, his new team would have had to pay him market value in 2016-17.
Sources tell ESPN.com’s Marc Stein that all 30 teams were notified at 5 p.m. ET on Friday that Bennett had cleared waivers. Initially, Yahoo! Sports have reported that the two sides will agree on a contract buyout; instead, the Timberwolves have waived the former first overall pick. Bennett can rebound, he can run the floor, and if Toronto can bring him along this “bust” can help them. He also battled injuries, which impacted his conditioning. Toronto lost forward Amir Johnson in free agency, replacing him with DeMarre Carroll, leading many to think they’ll embrace small ball.
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“This summer, Canadian national team coach and Blazers assistant Jay Triano gave Bennett excellent advice – simplify the game, find a thing or two you’re good at and focus on just that”, NBC stated.
