Josh McCown listed as starter, still not cleared to practice
September 22, 2015Ohio State is 3-0, but players far from happy with their performance thus far
September 22, 2015Anthony Bennett, who was chosen first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2013 NBA Draft and later traded to Minnesota as part of the deal to acquire Kevin Love, has been bought out of his contract by the Timberwolves. Shams Charania, who recently moved to Yahoo Sports from RealGM, was first with the news.
Minnesota forward Anthony Bennett has reached agreement on a contract buyout, soon to free him on waivers, league sources tell Yahoo.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 22, 2015
Rumblings of a potential buyout broke yesterday when Yahoo’s Adrian Wojnarowski wrote that Bennett and the T-Wolves were moving that direction after the team was unable to find a taker for him via trade. Per Woj, Bennett is hoping to find a team on which he can see more playing time.
Bennett’s reps have been eager for a contract buyout to allow him the chance for greater playing time, league sources said. The Timberwolves have a deep frontcourt, and there is little, if any, future for him with the franchise.
Woj wrote another piece today saying that Bennett hopes to choose his own team rather than being claimed off of waivers.
[Bennett’s] representatives are hopeful that no team claims him on waivers and that he will have the opportunity to pick his next destination as a free agent. Philadelphia and Portland plan to look carefully at the possibility of claiming Bennett, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
The UNLV product was slated to make $5.8 million this season, his third in the NBA. He will make that same salary with another team if he is claimed off of waivers, though that seems unlikely.1 If he goes unclaimed, he becomes an unrestricted free agent, and Minnesota would owe him the difference between the amount of his new contract and his original $5.8 million deal. From Blake Murphy at The Score:
Once the buyout is finalized, the Wolves will place Bennett on waivers. Should he clear waivers, Minnesota will be on the hook for whatever guaranteed amount the two sides agreed on, almost surely reducing their obligation from the $5.8 million he’s owed for 2015-16. In this case, reports suggest that Bennett may have been willing to sacrifice some of his salary in order to dictate his own future.
In 57 games with Minnesota last season (3 starts), Bennett averaged 5.2 points and 3.8 rebounds on 42.1 percent shooting in under 16 minutes per game. Those numbers are quite awful for a No. 1 pick, yet are an improvement over his rookie year with the Cavs, when he averaged 4.2 points and 3.0 rebounds on 35.6 percent shooting.
Bennett has struggled with an assortment of health issues in his short career, including a shoulder injury, sleep apnea, asthma, and vision problems. He played this summer for the Canadian national team in the Pan Am Games, and generated a few highlights along the way.
Anthony Bennett for team #Canada with the Poster slam on the Dominican defender in the #PanAmGames! https://t.co/WZXwRwPyk4
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) July 22, 2015
Bennett is still just 22 years old and has shown flashes of promise. It will be difficult for him to live up to the expectations of being a No. 1 pick, but he still has time to carve out an NBA career.
- The 76ers and Trail Blazers are the only teams with the cap space to sign him immediately. The Jazz could open up space fairly easily, and the Cavs could technically absorb Bennett into their trade exception generated by the Brendan Haywood trade. [↩]
21 Comments
Thank you.
He’s going with Boo Boo Kitty to play for the Raptors?
I’m going to drink your tears when Tristan signs his contract before the end of the week.
As long as it’s not more than 5/80.
My guess is 5/85
I’ll split the difference with you if I’m right…fair?
I can live with that.
I’m coming to Hometown Buffet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJi4bln-hHQ&list=RDOJi4bln-hHQ
They aren’t negotiating. Cavs offered 5 for $80 Paul wants $94 for 5 it’s been said repeatedly. I don’t see Paul backtracking now if Thompson signs it will most likely be the qualifying offer for one year and then he’s gone.
“They aren’t negotiating” — you and shirtless trainer dude hanging out again?
I’m having your tears as added salt to make the RGB’s tears taste even sweeter when the deal gets done.
No I talked to David Griffin and he told me the Cavs are not negotiating against themselves they made Mr. Thompson a more then fair deal and that’s where they remain.
Besides…aren’t you back tracking yourself? Aren’t you the one who has been constantly trying to tell me pay Mr. Thompson $94M for 5 years because in a year, not now a year, that will no longer be considered a max deal eventhough right now it’s a max deal? I mean why would Mr. Thompson’s agent wait all this time only to settle for 5 for $85?
Remember when Chris Grant was too embarrassed to send him to the D league for some PT lest people cite this as proof Bennett was a bust? Remember when Grant was fired anyway?
Remember when Banner drafted Mingo at 6 and punted the rest of the draft? Was that like the same year, or was that the Trent/Weeds year? Can we just stuff all horrific drafts into one year and do something else that year?
Never said you absolutely have to pay him the 5/94 deal; only that it is not some other-worldly amount you make it out to be under the new 2017 Cap floor and ceiling.
From the get go I’ve been a staunch supporter of paying him; if it’s 5/80 cool, if it’s 5/85 fine, if it’s 5/90 whatever. Either way it doesn’t matter to me because I understand Dan Gilbert is worth 2.5 Billion dollars and there’s slim to none chances of replacing Tristan if he walks.
Furthermore if I ever see a DOLANZ IS CHEAP post from you; I’m revoking your internet rights for a week.
Somewhere Butch is smiling you forgot to mention Courtney Brown.
I never lump that pick with the busts since it was an injury thing, not a horrible talent misevaluation.
Of course it only matters to Dan Gilbert after all he’s the owner but I have been scolded and lectured about having salary cap responsibility on this blog for years. I always said who cares what it costs but as I’ve matured and become responsible I learned life isn’t that simple. I’m sure even though Dan Gilbert is worth BILLIONS he to has to practice responsibility. If he want to continually spend like a drunken sailor simply because he can it won’t be long before we see problems develop. So basically while I would love to retain Mr. Thompson’s services I am fully on the bandwagon of 5 for $80 being far and away more then generous.
And the Dolans are cheap but it’s not their fault that they are among the poorest in MLB in the private clubhouse. A lot of the Indians problems revolve around the unfair market system but the Dolans wanted in so they don’t have an excuse.
That’s it. I’m done. Hasta manana!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xs73-eVBu6I
Look, I think there needs to be a decision between Mozgov and Thompson. I’d rather have Mozgov.
The extra $15 for TT (at $95mil) is going to cost Gilbert a ton more (not sure the exact number – maybe 4x the amount?). He can’t afford to pay TT and keep Mozgov next year. I think he is taking a hard stand here because the Cavs prefer to pay Mozgov next season. Where are TT’s minutes? Andy, Love, Mozgov are 3 bigs. They certainly need a 4th big, but not at $19million/year.
IMO, the best case scenario is for TT to sign the QO and then walk. It would save Dan Gilbert a ton of money that he could invest in other ways either at the deadline or next season.
Well, if we’re talking dream scenarios, let’s go with TT signing the QO, then nobody will give him more than $14M/yr. on the open market next season and the Cavs retain him anyway. 🙂
Agree there will be a decision between Moz and TT, and it would be to let Moz walk. The money he’ll want at his age will make Tristan’s ask look like a dream.
I think you are looking at the minute division wrong in that pool…..to me the question is Where are Andy’s minutes?
It’s my understanding that if Tristan signs the QO and walks there is no money savings to invest at the deadline or next season because we’re over the cap now and next year and the next year and the next year. I know we’re clinging to the trade exception we’ll get from Haywood but I’m not sure as to how close in dollars you have to be in salary to use it. It boils down to you either use the money on him or nobody else.
All of this is why Rich’s number is so high, he knows he can ask it.
It’s true that Mozgov may well get vastly overpaid next year, being that he’s very tall, but he’s also awfully important to the team as it’s currently constructed. He’s more important right now than Thompson. The problem as you pointed out is that a 5yr deal for him next year would last until his age-34 season, while a 5yr deal for TT right now will last only until his age-28 season.
I think that they’re going to have to either address their long term need at center with a trade of some kind or just pay everybody and lock the roster down. The first chance they will have to sneak under the cap will be the summer of 2017, and if you assume a number somewhere around $30M for Lebron in 2017-2018 they have around $80M in guaranteed contracts for that season already committed. (James/Irving/Love/Shumpert – Andy’s $10M is unguaranteed that year a la Haywood) If they add $30-32M for Mozgov and TT it’s pretty much guaranteed they stay above the cap and their only option is salary-matching trades. I suppose it’s possible that if TT really performs well, a max contract could theoretically become a desirable asset as the cap jumps higher, but it’s not the most likely scenario.
I say we send Varejao, Mozgov, and our 2018 1st round pick to the Kings for Boogie Cousins, lol. Somebody get Vlade on the phone!
I agree that Mozgov has current importance to the team which we need to see come to fruition this year because as we both agree your not paying him come 2017.
Because of that I am in favor of paying Tristan now to to secure him with you five years and (I know some people think this is nuts) have a trade-able contract for all 5 of those years as well.
The funny thing in all of this is that to me Tristan’s contract isn’t the problem…it’s Andy’s. If we’re not saddled with that right now this isn’t even a discussion.