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

^Hoops Knowledge

 

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

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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

 

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 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.

 

& look what he's done w/ those years

 

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

 

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