Anthony Bennett trade rumors: Forward could be traded to 76ers
After revealing the Cleveland Cavaliers and Minnesota Timberwolves made a ‘handshake agreement’ on a trade revolving around Kevin Love and Andrew Wiggins in an interview on ESPN Radio, Brian Windhorst broke down the expected parts of the trade: Love to Cleveland, WIgigns to Minnesota, and in an extremely unexpected turn, Anthony Bennett, last year’s number one overall pick, would be on his way to Philadelphia.
"“Essentially, before the papers have been signed, there is this handshake agreement that Kevin Love to the Cavs, Andrew Wiggins to the Timberwolves, and I believe, Thaddeus Young will end up in Minnesota, either as part of a separate deal or apart of the three-way deal. Possibly, Anthony Bennett, who’s on the Cavs right now, could get re-routed to Philadelphia in part of the deal with Thaddeus Young. There will be draft picks involved, but essentially, what you need to know if you’re a NBA fan: Kevin Love’s going to be on the Cavs barring anything unforeseen and Andrew Wiggins, the number one overall pick, is going to be in Minnesota.”"
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Prior to this revelation, it was expected that Anthony Bennett would be packaged alongside Andrew Wiggins and a future 1st-round selection and 2012 pick Dion Waiters would be heading to Philly–they reportedly showed interest in the shooting guard. Instead, Bennett could be immediately flipped by Minnesota for a veteran in Thaddeus Young.
It doesn’t make much sense to obtain Thaddeus Young when Anthony Bennett is on the table. While Young is the more talented player, Bennett is a similar talent who has a high ceiling and will come at a cheaper price for Minnesota for the next two seasons.
Like Love, Young is an unrestricted free agent this summer meaning if he finds a better situation in free agency, the T’Wolves will have lost both Young and Bennett for virtually nothing.
If the 76ers find a way to obtain Anthony Bennett, he’ll join a roster of lottery picks in Michael Carter-Williams, Joel Embiid, and Nerlens Noel.