Anthony Bennett Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Bennett, Raptors, Lopez

September 21st, 2015 at 10:39pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Raptors have interest in Anthony Bennett should he clear waivers, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities hears (Twitter link). Earlier today, it was reported that Bennett and the Wolves are making progress on a contract buyout.

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

The expectation is that Bennett will land with an NBA team, but Michael Grange of Rogers Sportsnet (Twitter link) believes it’s unlikely that Toronto signs him due to the team’s full front court rotation.
Eric Koreen in a full length piece for the National Post opines that Toronto probably won’t land the power forward. Koreen believes that the Raptors could give Bennett an opportunity to earn minutes at the four and they would be smart to kick tires on the 22-year-old. However, the scribe isn’t optimistic about Toronto’s chances because he believes that Philadelphia will claim him off waivers.
Coach Lionel Hollins has been impressed with Brook Lopez‘s attitude and effort this summer, Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.com relays via Twitter. Lopez re-signed with the Nets for $60MM over three years this offseason.

Latest On Anthony Bennett

September 21st, 2015 at 3:59pm CST by Will Joseph

The Wolves are making progress on a contract buyout with former No. 1 pick Anthony Bennett, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reports (on Twitter). Bennett, as Wojnarowski points out, would be a free agent if he clears waivers.

Bennett’s representatives have wanted a contract buyout to allow him the chance for greater playing time, Wojnarowski reports in a full story. The Wolves have a deep frontcourt, Wojnarowski adds, so there is not much of a future for him with the franchise.

Bennett is owed $5.8MM and the Wolves currently have 16 guaranteed contracts, former Nets executive Bobby Marks tweets. Marks adds that only the Sixers and Blazers have enough room to claim Bennett and the Cavs are the only team with a big enough Traded Player Exception (Twitter link).

It is worth noting that a decision looms by November 2nd on Bennett’s team option for 2016/17, worth $7,318,289. The possible move comes as a surprise to many, including Basketball Insiders’ Alex Kennedy, who points out (on Twitter) that Bennett is still only 22 and entering his third year in the league.

Making the news even more surprising is that Bennett played well for the Canadian national team during the summer, and Wolves owner Glen Taylor recently downplayed the idea that the Wolves will trade the power forward. Prior to that, however, Wolves had reportedly been willing to move Bennett for the right return.

Northwest Notes: Faried, Bennett, Kaman

September 18th, 2015 at 11:45am CST by Chuck Myron

People close to the Nuggets have indicated that Kenneth Faried played a larger role in the downfall of former coach Brian Shaw than publicly known, according to Ben Dowsett of Basketball Insiders. Trade rumors surrounded Faried for much of the past year, and many people around the league expect Denver will deal him away. Still, Dowsett takes Shaw to task for his performance as a coach last season and calls the hiring of Michael Malone the team’s best offseason addition. See more from the Northwest Division:

Anthony Bennett looked strong playing for the Canadian national team during the summer, and Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor downplayed the idea that the Wolves will trade the former No. 1 overall pick, telling Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities, “We shouldn’t assume he’d go” (Twitter link). The Wolves have reportedly been willing to move Bennett for the right return.
Chris Kaman would probably fit best on a contender, but he enjoyed playing for the Trail Blazers last season, and Kaman’s level of contentment has had much to do with whether he’s been successful over the past few seasons, as The Oregonian’s Joe Freeman examines. Kaman will make $5.016MM this season in the last year of his contract.
The exodus of so many of last season’s Trail Blazers has C.J. McCollum excited about the more prominent role he’s poised to take on this year, one reminiscent of his time as a scoring force in college at Lehigh, as he tells Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. McCollum is hopeful that he can continue to work with Steve Nash, who helped him with his game this summer, even though Nash is reportedly finalizing a deal to become a part-time player development consultant for the Warriors.

Western Rumors: Bennett, Morris, Clippers

September 7th, 2015 at 9:23pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Anthony Bennett’s spirited play with the Canadian national team at the FIBA Americas tournament provides hope that he can still live up to his status as the top pick in the 2013 draft, Eric Koreen of the National Post reports. The Timberwolves power forward has endeared himself to Canada coach Jay Triano by running the floor, setting screens and attacking the rim, Koreen continues. “I think Anthony Bennett’s summer has been absolutely fantastic for us,” Triano told reporters at the tournament. “He’s engaged in everything that we do on the floor, off the floor, rebounding. We’ve asked him to rebound, and he’s done it on a continuous basis. He runs the floor on a continuous basis. He provides help on the defensive end. He understands our defensive system.” Canada has not featured Bennett much offensively, but he has been effective when given opportunities, Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun points out. Bennett was shooting 68.2% on two-point attempts while averaging 10.3 points and 7.3 rebounds through the team’s first four games. Bennett has been Canada’s de facto center but with Minnesota using its No. 1 overall pick on Karl-Anthony Towns this summer and plenty of competition in a crowded frontcourt, Bennett might not be able to display his improvement immediately, Koreen adds.

In other news around the Western Conference:

The Raptors, Magic, Celtics, Rockets and Pistons are the five most logical landing spots for disgruntled Suns power forward Markieff Morris, Cody Taylor of Basketball Insiders opines. Morris, who is entering the first year of a four-year, $32MM extension, demanded a trade after Phoenix dealt his brother, Marcus Morris, to the Pistons in July.
Clippers owner Steve Ballmer turned down an offer of $60MM annually from Fox Sports to broadcast his team’s games locally, according to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. Ballmer asked for $100MM annually, executives familiar with the talks told Turner, but Fox declined. Ballmer is considering other options, including creating his own network and streaming the games, Turner adds.

Western Notes: Allen, Hayes, Majok

September 1st, 2015 at 10:31pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Despite having already proven his versatility to the team, Tony Allen knows that he’ll have to fight for minutes this season on a deep Grizzlies squad, Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal (subscription required) writes. For his part, Allen indicated that he’d willingly accept any role the team asked him to play, Tillery adds. “I don’t get into that. It is what it is. It’s not how you start. It’s how you finish,” Allen said. “I just want to come in, go to work and when I leave [the coaches] will be like, ‘He put his all out there on the line.’ Starting doesn’t mean anything to me. I’ve already shown that.” The 33-year-old appeared in 63 games for Memphis in 2014/15, including 41 starts, and averaged 8.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 26.2 minutes per contest.

Here’s more from out West:

Chuck Hayes‘ one year, minimum salary deal with the Clippers is non-guaranteed, former NBA executive Bobby Marks confirms (via Twitter). Dan Woike of the Orange County Register first reported that no guaranteed salary would be a part of the agreement. That means his salary wouldn’t have bearing on any would-be hard cap unless he makes the opening night roster, as Marks points out (Twitter link).
Lakers draft-and-stash power forward Ater Majok has signed with the Polish club Trefl Sopot, the team announced (translation courtesy of Emiliano Carchia of Sportando). Majok was selected by Los Angeles with the No. 58 overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft.
Timberwolves combo forward Anthony Bennett hopes to use his strong play for Team Canada this Summer as a springboard to a strong NBA season, Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca writes. Former NBA player and current GM of the Canadian senior men’s team, Steve Nash, is a firm believer in Bennett’s potential, Lewenberg notes, with Nash saying of the young forward, “For me, just to be around him and to see how seriously he’s taking it and how hard he’s worked and how hard he’s trying to pick up the details, like I said, those are the ingredients that are going to make him a great NBA player and a guy that plays in the league for a long time. So I’m [incredibly] proud of Anthony and the work he’s put in this summer.” Minnesota would reportedly be willing to deal Bennett for the right price, though the team isn’t actively shopping the 2013 No. 1 overall pick.

Northwest Notes: Bennett, Wolves, Jazz

August 23rd, 2015 at 10:25am CST by ChrisCrouse

The Wolves would move Anthony Bennett for the right price, but there are no active discussions, Jon Krawczynski of the Associated Press tweets. The Wolves acquired Bennett in the Kevin Love trade that also brought Andrew Wiggins and Thaddeus Young to Minnesota. Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors re-examined the deal, which occurred one year ago today, and analyzed the status of each piece of the trade, including the draft pick that was sent to Philadelphia.

Here’s more from the Northwest Division:

The Wolves have not spoken to the Blazers about any deals in over a month, Krawczynski adds in a separate tweet. The two teams reportedly had talks regarding “a major deal,” though discussions ended without any deal being struck.
Jesse Blancarte of Basketball Insiders believes the Dante Exum injury will give Trey Burke an opportunity to show he is ready and capable of being a starting point guard in the NBA. Blancarte admits that Burke is a downgrade from Exum defensively, but he argues the drop off won’t be as significant as many expect. The scribe believes Utah’s improvement in the second half of last season had more to do with Enes Kanter‘s exit, which allowed Rudy Gobert to take on a bigger role, than Exum’s insertion into the starting lineup.
Burke should get the first crack at leading the Jazz this season, but the point guard is just focusing on improving his game, Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune writes. “My mindset is just keep working, getting better,” Burke said. “Obviously with Dante going down a lot of people think I’m going to start, but I’m not really worried about that, to be honest with you. This is a time for me to really focus on how I can improve this last stretch of the summer. That’s really my biggest focus right now.”

Wolves’ Flip Saunders On Love, Garnett, Bennett

July 30th, 2015 at 1:19pm CST by Zachary Links

Before the D-League, there was the Continental Basketball Association. Like the D-League, the CBA gave a platform to some of the less-heralded players out there to show their stuff and earn NBA deals. In the case of Flip Saunders, the CBA was a springboard to a successful NBA coaching career. This week, the head coach/president of basketball operations/part owner of the Timberwolves spoke with Zach Lowe of Grantland about Kevin Love, Kevin Garnett, his journey, and much more. Here’s a look at some of the highlights..

On Kevin Love:

I didn’t have a problem keeping Kevin into the final year of his deal and coaching him. Guys just don’t turn down the extra year and $30MM. Even though he maybe wanted to leave, I thought we still had an opportunity to re-sign him. When you are patient, you can say, ‘This is what we need to get something done, and if we don’t get it, we’re keeping him.’

Then things kind of fell into place, with LeBron going to Cleveland and [Andrew] Wiggins becoming available…People thought it was [bluster when I said I wanted to keep him]. Thoughts might have changed when I announced I would coach. Because what coach wouldn’t want to coach a guy who was All-NBA? Coaches want to win that night. I’m in a unique situation, because as the coach, I live in the present, but as the GM, I look into the future. I try to steer both courses. But people believed I would coach the guy.

On balancing roles and whether he watches college game film to scout draft prospects:

I do watch a lot, actually. You also have to trust people you hire. I’ve been in the league for 18 years. I have an understanding of players. I have a wide base of college coaches I talk to, so I know a lot about guys before they even come into the league. Look, there are positives and negatives to it. You need checks and balances. You can’t make snap decisions. What helps is, I came up in the CBA, where you did everything. I was president, GM, coach, everything, for seven years there. You get to understand the intermingling of the business and basketball sides, because they both have to be successful. You learn how to deal with agents. Building trust with agents is as important as anything in our league now.

On Kevin Garnett‘s role:

He’s gonna start. That’s who he is. KG is a starter. He’s the best power forward on our team, actually. No one rebounds better. He’s the best help defender. No one communicates better. He knows the offense, and he can pass it.

On whether he’ll exercise Anthony Bennett‘s fourth-year option:

We’re going to evaluate him over the summer. He played a good Pan American Games. There is no question about his talent. It’s about getting in shape. He’s in shape now. But it’s going to be competitive with all those guys, and also Nemanja Bjelica, who no one talks about.

Timberwolves, Celtics Discuss Anthony Bennett

June 24th, 2015 at 10:19am CST by Chuck Myron

WEDNESDAY, 10:19am: Boston and Minnesota have discussed a deal that would send Bennett and the Nos. 31 and 36 picks to the Celtics for the 28th pick, a source tells Jake Fischer of SI Now (Twitter links).

MONDAY, 1:00pm: The Timberwolves are making Anthony Bennett available to trade suitors, sources tell Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The team’s frontcourt is apparently about to get that much more crowded with Minnesota reportedly having told forward/center Karl-Anthony Towns that he’s their choice for the No. 1 overall pick. Minnesota also spoke about trading Bennett at the trade deadline this past February, as Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities reported then.

Bennett’s name came up earlier today in speculation regarding the Raptors and Greivis Vasquez, though it doesn’t appear as though there’s interest on Toronto’s part, even though the former No. 1 overall pick is a Canadian and GM Masai Ujiri has expressed enthusiasm for bringing Canadian players onto the roster. The 22-year-old Bennett is set to make nearly $5.804MM on his rookie scale contract this coming season, and an October 31st deadline looms for a decision on a team option for 2016/17 worth more than $7.318MM.

The Wolves have more than $56MM in guaranteed salary for next season, with a $4.753MM cap hold earmarked for the No. 1 overall pick, as well as a new deal with Kevin Garnett seemingly on the horizon. The team would have difficulty clearing cap space even if it trades Bennett for no guaranteed salary in return, so it would seem as though the Timberwolves would prioritize taking back players who can contribute on the roster over assets that would provide cap flexibility, though that’s just my speculation.

Rockets, Wolves Interested In Greivis Vasquez?

June 22nd, 2015 at 12:19pm CST by Chuck Myron

12:19pm: Wolfson clarifies that he has no sense that the Raptors are interested in Bennett (Twitter link).

11:40am: Greivis Vasquez said in a press conference in his native Venezuela today that he’s heard the Timberwolves and Rockets like him and that while he’d prefer to remain in Toronto, he’s preparing to become a starting point guard if the Raptors trade him, as Basket Vinotinto relays in Spanish (Twitter links; hat tip to Sporando’s Emiliano Carchia). Vasquez is to make $6.6MM next season, the final of a two-year deal he signed last summer to serve as Kyle Lowry‘s backup.

The Rockets are reportedly planning a push to sign restricted free agent point guard Patrick Beverley, though they’d have a hole to fill at the position if he signs elsewhere and Houston doesn’t match. Statements from Ricky Rubio and Flip Saunders have seemed to tamp down rumors suggesting that either he, the team, or both have interest in trading him. Presuming Rubio stays in Minnesota, Vasquez would project as a backup there. Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities suggests the Wolves would indeed have interest in trading for Vasquez, though Wolfson hears mixed word on whether Toronto would want former No. 1 overall pick Anthony Bennett, a Canadian, whose salary would fit for a potential trade (Twitter link).

Houston can offer the Raptors cap relief in the form of Kostas Papanikolaou‘s non-guaranteed salary if the team picks up his team option. Vasquez has spent one full season as a starter, in 2012/13 with New Orleans, and he averaged 9.0 assists per game that year.

Wolves Talk Anthony Bennett Trade, Eye Seraphin

February 18th, 2015 at 9:59am CST by Chuck Myron

The Wolves have brought up Anthony Bennett‘s name in trade discussions, league sources tell Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (Twitter link), and they’ve been in pursuit of Kevin Seraphin, according to J. Michael of CSNWashington.com. It’s unclear if there’s any link between the Bennett talk and Minnesota’s attempts to trade for Seraphin. In any case, it’s unlikely that Seraphin will leave the Wizards, Michael adds, noting that he has a de facto no-trade clause and suggesting that it would make little sense from a basketball standpoint for Washington to part with the center.

Bennett arrived in Minnesota this past summer via the Kevin Love trade, a little more than a year after the Cavs made him a surprise No. 1 overall pick. The combo forward has notoriously failed to live up to that distinction, though this season has been somewhat of an improvement, as he’s shooting a higher percentage on more shot attempts in increased minutes, and his PER is up to 11.0 from a woeful 6.9 last season. Still, Bennett’s PER is indicative of below average efficiency, and the Wolves just acquired Adreian Payne to play at power forward, Bennett’s primary position. Bennett is on a rookie scale contract, but it’s a relatively expensive one that gives him nearly $5.564MM this year and almost $5.804MM next season.

The Wizards are willing to give up a first-round pick to make a trade of some sort before the deadline, a source tells Michael, who nonetheless cautions that a free agent addition is still more likely for the team than a trade is. As Michael writes, Washington continues to prioritize cap flexibility for the summer of 2016, when D.C. native Kevin Durant is a free agent, and that would complicate potential trades.

Seraphin is set for unrestricted free agency this summer after signing his qualifying offer, worth nearly $3.899MM, this past summer. The 25-year-old has the best back-to-the-basket game of any player on the Wizards’ second unit, Michael observes, and he’s seeing 15.8 minutes per game this season after only getting 10.9 MPG last year.