OT Minnesota progressing on contract buyout with former No. 1 pick Anthony Bennett.

[handiman]

I see more Paul Millsap in the highlight videos than either Z-Bo or Grandma Ma.

 

[Norman Dale]

It's now official that he has been waived: https://twitter.com/Timberwolves?ref_src=twsrc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^author

I don't see the Blazers picking him up off waivers but instead waiting to see if they can sign him to a minimum contract. They don't want any part of his $5 mill salary. If they did, then they would have traded a 2nd round pick for him. Just have to wait and see.

 

[e_blazer]

It's only right that this kid should be a Blazer:

Cleveland lost value by reaching for Bennett at no. 1, but it wasn’t an insane pick at the time, and none of the reasonable alternatives are going to inspire “what if?” stories for the next 30 years. This is not LaRue Martin over Bob McAdoo, Greg Oden over Kevin Durant, or Sam Bowie (at no. 2, of course) over the G.O.A.T.

(Kevin Pelton)

Ouch, Ouch!, and OUCH!!! The Blazers need to get this draft bust and have him somehow blossom into a dominant force to help offset the bad ju-ju of all of those infamous Blazer picks.

 

[Pinwheel1]

I don't see the Blazers picking him up off waivers but instead waiting to see if they can sign him to a minimum contract. They don't want any part of his $5 mill salary. If they did, then they would have traded a 2nd round pick for him. Just have to wait and see.

That's a good point. If they really wanted him they would not havr taken the chance someone else claims him first. But maybe they feel the odds are worth the risk that the 2-3 teams who have room to claim him......won't do it.
They don't have an abundance of 2 round picks to trade, or they would not have picked up Miller.

 

[Schilly]

Just my opinion, but keeping a 2nd rounder and claiming Bennett off waivers is better value than trading a 2nd rounder for him. The problem with letting him clear waivers is then you will still have to outbid everyone else who has interest in order to keep him. His contract added on won't hurt our ability to have space to try to lure a max guy here which is unlikely anyway. Better to gamble on adding assets that can turn into tradeable commodities or contributors than to try to go the free agent route at this time.

 

[oldfisherman]

I believe the real question for Olshey is:
Do we want a player on our bench that does not want to be here? No we do not.

Why would Bennett want to come here? He would be in the same (or worse) lack of minute’s situation that he just begged to leave.

 

[KeepOnRollin]

Where is he going to start at? I can't see him even being 6th man anywhere. If he can't find minutes on one of the worst teams in the league (which is what some people say we will be) then how would he find minutes on a good team? It isn't that he doesn't want to be here imo, it is that he wants to be able to pick his spot (which could still be here if we pay the most).

 

[Schilly]

He probably has better chances competing against Vonleh for backup minutes as he does anywhere else.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Just my opinion, but keeping a 2nd rounder and claiming Bennett off waivers is better value than trading a 2nd rounder for him. The problem with letting him clear waivers is then you will still have to outbid everyone else who has interest in order to keep him.

The difference, of course, is that if we had traded for him, we could then flip him at any time, whereas if we sign him, we wouldn't be able to subsequently trade him until at least 3 months later. On the flip side however, if we sign him after he clears waivers, we actually know that he wants to be here, whereas we would have no idea if we had traded for him.

 

[oldfisherman]

Bennett’s agent would know which teams he is interested in, and that have a better chance to play him more minutes. Toronto is one of them.

Every GM interested in Bennett would contact his agent before picking him up off of waivers, or, offering him a FA contract.

 

[Denny Crane]

Let him clear waivers and offer him a 1yr 9M deal with year 2 and 3 non-guaranteed. No one can match that except PHI.

This.

The $9M doesn't matter. Got to make team minimum salary anyhow.

 

[THE HCP]

Just my opinion, but keeping a 2nd rounder and claiming Bennett off waivers is better value than trading a 2nd rounder for him. The problem with letting him clear waivers is then you will still have to outbid everyone else who has interest in order to keep him. His contract added on won't hurt our ability to have space to try to lure a max guy here which is unlikely anyway. Better to gamble on adding assets that can turn into tradeable commodities or contributors than to try to go the free agent route at this time.

^Hoops Knowledge

 

[riverman]

This.

The $9M doesn't matter. Got to make team minimum salary anyhow.

Actually you don't have to if you're willing to pay the guys already signed the balance but there's no incentive to do that

 

[julius]

When will the deadline for passing waivers (or whatever its called) happen?

 

[oldmangrouch]

160+ messages - and I am still not convinced. He just isn't a good enough prospect to take development time from Leonard and Noah.

 

[Reep]

160+ messages - and I am still not convinced. He just isn't a good enough prospect to take development time from Leonard and Noah.

I'm all for amassing resources, but I have a really hard time seeing Bennett getting minutes either of those two--which will leave him unhappy. Leonard is a very different player, but Vonleh is bigger, longer, has better handles, shoots better, rebounds better and blocks shots better. And Vonleh still may be behind Leonard and Davis.

 

[Denny Crane]

Actually you don't have to if you're willing to pay the guys already signed the balance but there's no incentive to do that

You don't want to be stuck with him and his contract after the first year unless he pans out. The $9M offer eliminates all teams but Philly from being able to outbid, and it is money that has to be spent to get to team minimum salary.

If the Blazers claim him off waivers, they have to decide to exercise his option for next season without getting to give him a full tryout. The $5M+ cap hit next season does matter.

In the $9M scenario, you get a year to decide. If he's worth it, we found a gem for nothing. If he's not, I see minimal downside.

Brian is smart!

 

[Reep]

You don't want to be stuck with him and his contract after the first year unless he pans out. The $9M offer eliminates all teams but Philly from being able to outbid, and it is money that has to be spent to get to team minimum salary.

If the Blazers claim him off waivers, they have to decide to exercise his option for next season without getting to give him a full tryout. The $5M+ cap hit next season does matter.

In the $9M scenario, you get a year to decide. If he's worth it, we found a gem for nothing. If he's not, I see minimal downside.

Brian is smart!

I agree that Brian is smart, but I don't think Bennett will jump at the most money. He will want someone to convince him that he has a shot at starting for them and will at least be a solid rotation player. I would bet he is willing to take less on a short term deal and then cash in if/when he gets the time to prove himself.

I don't think Portland can make those promises given their current roster. But, I'm not sure who really can. It sounds like he wants to be in Toronto and that may be a good fit. What is the most they can offer him? Even if it is <$2M I bet he takes it.

 

[handiman]

Now that he's forced his way out of Minnesota, he should force Memphis back to Vancouver and pick them. Then we do something about the Sonics and get back to having some semblance of a Division.

 

[Denny Crane]

I agree that Brian is smart, but I don't think Bennett will jump at the most money. He will want someone to convince him that he has a shot at starting for them and will at least be a solid rotation player. I would bet he is willing to take less on a short term deal and then cash in if/when he gets the time to prove himself.

I don't think Portland can make those promises given their current roster. But, I'm not sure who really can. It sounds like he wants to be in Toronto and that may be a good fit. What is the most they can offer him? Even if it is <$2M I bet he takes it.

I think he has an excellent chance to start here.

It's not like we're loaded with talented PFs. We have guys with p-p-p-potential to be NBA regulars. Why any one of them is a surer thing than the #1 pick in the draft is debatable.

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

I think he has an excellent chance to start here.

It's not like we're loaded with talented PFs. We have guys with p-p-p-potential to be NBA regulars. Why any one of them is a surer thing than the #1 pick in the draft is debatable.

As of draft day, some thought he could fall to the Blazers at #10. So, there's that....

 

[julius]

I think he has an excellent chance to start here.

It's not like we're loaded with talented PFs. We have guys with p-p-p-potential to be NBA regulars. Why any one of them is a surer thing than the #1 pick in the draft is debatable.

Did I miss you full on jumping on the bandwagon? Or are you talking about the Bulls?

 

[Denny Crane]

Did I miss you full on jumping on the bandwagon? Or are you talking about the Bulls?

You missed it.

 

[julius]

You missed it.

damnit, I miss all the big announcements.

 

[0-Our!]

I think he has an excellent chance to start here.

It's not like we're loaded with talented PFs. We have guys with p-p-p-potential to be NBA regulars. Why any one of them is a surer thing than the #1 pick in the draft is debatable.

I disagree, "p-p-p-potential" means a guy could be a complete bust, Vonleh's ALREADY NOT A BUST, he WILL b awesome, it's a matter of HOW awesome he'll b. Within Vonleh's control, he's done nothing wrong to suggest he's topped out/sucks/won't get any better AND he's only 20! Bennett IS CURRENTLY A BIG BUST but he is 22 (still young, which is 1 of the factors that made me partially change my mind IF he becomes a Blazer) & he's shown that he sucks like no other #1 has ever sucked before; it's unprecedented for a #1 not to @ least finish out his 1st 4 yr. contract (until now); there IS still a possibility he doesn't get better (most ppl would say that's not possible w/ how young he is), it's equally as bad if his "improvement" is marginal to the point that it's not good enough for the NBA/ only good enough for the pine. Some would say that IF Bennett improves @ least enough to be worthy of the bench, this will all have been worth it; I (& others) don't take that stance, he better be starter material to be worth bringing in bc I DO believe we have guys (i.e. Vonleh) that are easily good enough to eventually be our starting pf or @ least fall marginally short. I actually have no doubt that Bennett will improve but the odds are very much against him to improve enough to become a/our starting pf (maybe he will become good enough to b a starter for someone else, not good enough for us).

Well established by now, $ isn't an issue (though I would still feel "weird" about being the team that pays him a good contract if he's a complete bust but anywho...)

I'm all for amassing resources, but I have a really hard time seeing Bennett getting minutes... --which will leave him unhappy. Leonard is a very different player, but Vonleh is bigger, longer, has better handles, shoots better, rebounds better and blocks shots better. And Vonleh still may be behind Leonard and Davis.
... He will want someone to convince him that he has a shot at starting for them and will at least be a solid rotation player...

I don't think Portland can make those promises given their current roster.

I agree w/ Reep, if Vonleh (for @ least now) is behind Leonard & Davis... that means that Bennett is behind Vonleh/fighting w/ him for pt (IF this is ever to occur to any capacity, it should b ONLY @ practice so that Vonleh's actual game pt isn't or @ least marginally affected), that doesn't sound like the kind of pt Bennett is looking for; IF he is able to beat Vonleh out, THEN it will have been worth it to bring him in but I don't see this happening. Everything w/ the decision to bring in Bennett is answered, IMO by, can Bennett beat Vonleh for pt? NO! After thinking about everything ppl have written, the last question/answer that I just wrote, is really the 1 thing that matters & the thing that brings me to the concrete conclusion that I'm back to hell no on Bennett. IF Neil brings him in anyway... he'd be making a HUGE mistake; Bennett would only be a bench guy most likely @ best, he'll be unhappy, & what he produces from the bench, we can get from free agency/D-league.

 

[Denny Crane]

I have high hopes for Vonleh, but seriously... The guy played 259 minutes in 25 games last season against scrubs.

Bennett played 4x as much for just as bad a team, and even started games. There was a time last season where they were writing about how he might not be a bust after all. He has two years under his belt, too.

 

[0-Our!]

I have high hopes for Vonleh, but seriously... The guy played 259 minutes in 25 games last season against scrubs.

Bennett played 4x as much for just as bad a team, and even started games. There was a time last season where they were writing about how he might not be a bust after all. He has two years under his belt, too.

& look what he's done w/ those years

 

[Denny Crane]

& look what he's done w/ those years

Every aspect of his game improved, significantly...

 

[MickZagger]

I want Bennett. Let it be a dog fight for minutes. Let the best man win.

 

[riverman]

I didn't realize he's just 22...lot of room for growth at that age