Minnesota Timberwolves forward Anthony Bennett has reached an agreement on a contract buyout with the team, according to Yahoo Sports.
Bennett, the former number one overall pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2013, wanted to be bought out to go to a team where he could potentially earn a larger role.
There are four teams with enough cap space that can claim Bennett off waivers – the Philadelphia 76ers, Portland Trail Blazers, Utah Jazz, and Cavaliers (with a trade exception).
Out of the four teams, the Blazers seem like a plausible destination for the 22-year old. They have $13 million in cap space and have been building a foundation of young talent after having their roster blown up this summer.
However, if Bennett goes unclaimed the next two days, he will clear waivers and officially become an unrestricted free agent, allowing him to sign with any team he desires.
For the Timberwolves, they had no problem parting ways with Bennett since they are already stacked at the power forward position, as they are also now down to 15 guaranteed players heading into training camp.
Last season with Minnesota, Bennett played merely 53 games on 15.7 minutes per contest while averaging 5.2 points and 3.8 rebounds.
The Cavaliers surprisingly chose Bennett with the first overall pick, putting a lot of belief in the UNLV standout. However, after a disappointing rookie campaign, Cleveland dealt Bennett to Minnesota alongside 2014 number one overall pick, Andrew Wiggins, as part of the three-team Kevin Love deal that sent Thaddeus Young to the Wolves as well.
In his short, two-year career, the biggest issues for Bennett have been his weight and injuries. Just last season, he suffered an ankle injury that kept him out for a long period of time. When with the Cavaliers, he endured a knee injury that also kept him out for an extended period of time.
Hopefully, the young big man could overcome those injuries and find a new team where he can finally blossom into a serviceable player.
