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Anthony Bennett: Option for Atlanta Hawks?

By Jonathan Savitske

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Former 2013 Number 1 Draft pick Anthony Bennett has reached a buyout agreement with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Yahoo.com’s Shams Charania reports.

A former top prospect out of UNLV, Anthony Bennett came out of college with high expectations with being drafted so high. Instead, Bennett struggled during his rookie season with the Cavaliers, averaging only 4.2 points in 12.8 minutes per game. The 6’8” forward struggled with nagging injuries and his weight, which limited his ability to counter more athletic players.

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After Lebron James decided to go home to Cleveland last season, the Cavaliers made a move to acquire former Timberwolves’ All-Star Forward Kevin Love. 2014 top pick Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett were shipped off to Minnesota. 

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While Andrew Wiggins has found a home with the Timberwolves and is one of the NBA’s emerging stars, Anthony Bennett failed to provide even a glimpse of his insane potential during his sophomore season with the T-Wolves. Last season in Minnesota, Bennett averaged 5.2 points and 3.8 rebounds in 15.7 minutes per game.

Buried on the T-Wolves depth chart behind players like Shabazz Muhammad, Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota and Anthony Bennett have agreed to a buyout. Though he has not performed up to his billing as a number 1 pick, with the right situation and coach, Bennett could become a rotational player in the NBA. Bennett did however play well this summer as a member of the Canadian National Team.

Given the Atlanta Hawks ongoing need for depth at the wing and at power forward, could Anthony Bennett become an option for Mike Budenholzer in Atlanta going into training camp? And if so, how could the Atlanta Hawks sign him?

Going into training camp, the Atlanta Hawks have already somewhat addressed the loss of DeMarre Carroll at the wing by adding Tim Hardaway, Jr. via a draft night trade with the New York Knicks as well as signing former Golden State Warriors SF Justin Holiday.

Former second round draft pick Lamar Patterson is signed to a non-guaranteed contract and has been invited to training camp along with former Nebraska standout and Hawks Summer League SF Terran Petteway. Veteran Jason Richardson will also be contending for a roster spot. There is still ambiguity regarding the status of Mike Scott on the Atlanta Hawks roster, as the organization has yet to seriously address the issue following his arrest in early August on possession of illegal substances and evasion of arrest.

“Bennett is not a low-risk, high reward signing, and any transaction involving him will likely yield diminishing returns.”

Still though, with the uncertainty of Thabo Sefolosha‘s health going into the season, as well as questions regarding how Hardaway and Holiday will perform in the rotation, the Atlanta Hawks could be a team that could see the potential in Anthony Bennett and decide roll the dice.

Mike Budenholzer has shown his ability to develop players in past like DeMarre Carroll, and is seeking to do the same this season with Tim Hardaway, Jr.. Budenholzer is the perfect coach to coax the talent and potential out of Bennett, and transform him into a regular contributor in the NBA.

Signing Bennett would also give the Atlanta Hawks even more depth off the bench, given he is willing to buy into the system and comply with the expectations of Mike Budenholzer and the club. Though he will undoubetdly be looking for a guaranteed contract if he clears waivers, he could become an intriguing piece for the club.

Now on paper this all sounds somewhat feasible — the Atlanta Hawks and Mike Budenholzer giving Anthony Bennett another chance, and Bennett realizing his potential under the NBA Coach of the Year and on a contender — but how would the organization make this happen? Anthony Bennett has 48 hours to clear waivers following his buyout. A team — like the Atlanta Hawks — could claim him and absorb the rest of his $5.8 million contract. If he is able to clear waivers unclaimed, Bennett will become a free agent and is free to sign anywhere.

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If the Atlanta Hawks were to pursue Anthony Bennett as a free agent, it would take some tricky financial maneuvering on the part of the front-office, as some non-guaranteed contracts would have to jettisoned in order to fit Bennett under the Hawks salary cap. They currently do not possess the requisite space to sign Bennett out-right.

So would Anthony Bennett be an option for the Atlanta Hawks to create even more depth? Well the short answer is yes, but the prohibitive cost of signing him makes this highly unlikely. Unloading other less expensive non-guaranteed contracts like that of players like Lamar Patterson and to an extent Mike Muscala would make this a frivolous venture for the Atlanta Hawks.

Given how poorly Bennett has performed over his first two seasons in the league, and his struggle to adapt to the physcality of the NBA, it’s improbable that the Hawks and Budenholzer would be able to rectify all of his flaws, making him a high risk and potentially costly signing. Bennett is not a low-risk, high reward signing, and any transaction involving him will likely yield diminishing returns.

Next: Atlanta Hawks: Korver and Sefolosha Medically Cleared

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