Anthony Bennett Joins Toronto Raptors on Reported 1-Year Contract

The Cleveland Cavaliers made Anthony Bennett the No. 1 pick in the 2013 NBA draft, but the Canadian forward hasn't lived up to the lofty expectations that come with that designation. Regardless, the Toronto Raptors are banking on Bennett's development as they announced his signing on Monday.

"After physical exam [Sunday], Anthony Bennett has signed a one-year veteran minimum deal with the Toronto Raptors, league source tells Yahoo," reported Yahoo Sports' Shams Charania on Sunday. ESPN's Marc Stein originally reported on Sept. 25 that the Raptors would sign Bennett to a one-year veteran minimum deal barring a setback.

Bennett spent one year with the Minnesota Timberwolves after the Cavaliers gave up on the young big man. However, Minnesota officially waived Bennett on Sept. 23, and Stein reported Sept. 25 that Bennett cleared waivers to become a free agent. 

Charania previously reported Bennett wanted a buyout so he could choose his next NBA team. Charania added that the Portland Trail Blazers, because of their Canadian coaching connections, were an expected suitor.

Bennett averaged 5.2 points and 3.8 rebounds a game in 57 appearances for the Timberwolves last season.

Some would argue it's too soon for Minnesota to give up on Bennett, but Kurt Helin of Pro Basketball Talk noted the Timberwolves are “stacked up front” with a rotation that includes Karl-Anthony Towns, Kevin Garnett, Nikola Pekovic, Gorgui Dieng and Adreian Payne.

There simply isn’t much opportunity there with so much depth in the frontcourt, even though team owner Glen Taylor recently indicated to Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500 that Bennett wasn’t necessarily on his way out of Minnesota: “We shouldn't assume he'd go. ... Anthony has had a good summer."

Interestingly, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports pointed out that the burden of the expectations on Bennett as the No. 1 pick maybe wasn't fair in the first place for a player of his caliber: "Bennett, a 6-foot-8 forward, was a shocking choice as the No. 1 overall pick by the Cavaliers in 2013 and immediately struggled with weight and injuries. There was no team in the top 10 that had plans of selecting Bennett had he dropped to them."

Still, Cleveland’s mistake in the draft has impacted most fans’ opinion of Bennett. But Helin thinks the forward should get another opportunity to prove his worth in a situation that wouldn’t put as much pressure on the former UNLV standout:

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But some team should give him a shot. Bennett is just 22 and entering his third NBA season, and while he’s never going to be a star, it is possible he could develop into a solid rotation player. Maybe. He’s shown flashes of quality play before—2014 Summer League, for example—but he hasn’t been able to sustain that into the NBA regular season. He also hasn’t been healthy until recently, which impacted his conditioning (one of the bigger issues surrounding Bennett). … Bennett is athletic, long, and can run the floor, but all of his skill still needs polishing. In the right developmental setting, maybe he can step up his game.

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A franchise that will not rely as heavily on the long-term development of young forwards in 2015-16 would be a better place for Bennett.