Of course, his health and conditioning loom large, but he looks to have answered those questions over the summer when he averaged 7.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game at the FIBA Americas Championship for Canada.
Advertisement
His representatives are hopeful that no team claims him on waivers and that he will have the opportunity to pick his next destination as a free agent. Though they drafted him No. 1 in 2013, they’ve since replaced the general manager who made that selection, Chris Grant, with David Griffin. Four teams have the salary cap space or the trade exception necessary to absorb Bennett’s $5.8 million contract: the Cleveland Cavaliers, Philadelphia 76ers, Portland Trail Blazers and Utah Jazz.
If Bennett doesn’t realize his full potential, he could end up alongside Michael Olowokandi, Kwame Brown and Greg Oden as the worst first overall draft picks of all time.
What’s going on with Anthony Bennett, who’s already considered a spectacular bust as the #1 overall pick in 2013? Unfortunately for Bennett, it turns out it will be him. He’d be hard-pressed to earn minutes on a Western Conference team that considers itself a contender for a playoff spot like Phoenix, which is why a tanking team like the Sixers or Blazers might make more sense.
Buying out a former No. 1 overall pick after two National Basketball Association seasons seems remarkable, but it actually may be the best option for Bennett and the Timberwolves.
The Timberwolves have an impressive roster that makes certain players expendable.
Bennett likes to shoot from deep, even though he has little history of success. We’ve asked him to rebound, and he’s done it on a continuous basis.
Advertisement
Training camp just got a lot more interesting. While he has the physical tools to be semi-productive, Bennett is dangerously close to not having his rookie option picked up (a near certainty) and possibly ending up with a third team in the near future. You can be sure that plenty of other teams out there will avoid doing so too.
