Anthony Bennett to Nets: Latest Contract Details, Analysis and Reaction
Power forward Anthony Bennett reportedly signed with the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday to a two-year minimum deal, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical.
The first year of the contract is guaranteed.
Bennett, 23, has had a disappointing NBA career since the Cleveland Cavaliers made him the top overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft. He's had stints with the Cavs, Minnesota Timberwolves and Toronto Raptors in his three-year career, averaging 4.2 points and 3.1 rebounds per game.
He appeared in just 19 contests for the Raptors last season, averaging 1.5 points and 1.2 rebounds in 4.4 minutes per contest. The team waived him in February.
In Brooklyn, Bennett will fight for playing time with Trevor Booker, Chris McCullough and Luis Scola. Booker and Scola seem likely to compete for the starting gig, so Bennett will have a battle on his hands to prove he is worth giving minutes to at all in the rotation.
Bennett is still young, so in Brooklyn he'll have the opportunity to live up to the potential that once made him the top overall pick. While expecting him to ever become a star is foolish at this point, Bennett could still be a valuable contributor off the bench for the Nets.
That's one of many reasons his signing was a smart move, as Ethan Norof of Rotoworld suggested:
It's a reasonable gamble. Either Bennett exceeds expectations and is a bargain signing, or he remains a flop and the Nets paid him the minimum for one season before waiving him. The team will hope for the former.
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