Nets Rumors: Interest In Power Forward Anthony Bennett

Brooklyn Nets Rumors: The Nets and former No.1 pick Anthony Bennett reportedly have mutual interest; could a deal come to fruition in the near future?

Brooklyn Nets rumors continue to trickle in as they have a ton of money to spend after both offer sheets to restricted free agents Allen Crabbe and Tyler Johnson were matched by their respective teams; the Portland Trail Blazers and Miami Heat. The Nets moved quickly onto Plan B, signing combo guard Greivis Vasquez and veteran power forward Luis Scola.

But, the Nets are not yet done in free agency as they have plenty of roster spots still available for the taking. They have reportedly been kicking the tires on trying to sign restricted free agent Dion Waiters away from the Oklahoma City Thunder. That is another move that would require an overpay for the Nets, as Waiters is likely to retained by the Thunder, especially with Kevin Durant moving on to the Golden State Warriors.

Another young player that the Nets are reportedly targeting is former number one overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, Anthony Bennett. Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops first reported the potential pairing, as there is reportedly mutual interest between the Nets and Bennett.

This is the second consecutive offseason that Bennett is looking for a new team to play with, as he lasted only one season in his native Canada with the Toronto Raptors. He appeared in only 19 games for the Raptors last season, as the former No.1 overall pick continues to look like a colossal bust.

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Bennett took part in a veteran minicamp with the Nets in the beginning of June, and reportedly did well there. That is probably where the interest from the Nets first came about, as they saw firsthand that Bennett looks to be taking his career seriously and wants to get his career back on track.

While Bennett has not had the best track record in his NBA career, he is the kind of player that the Nets should be targeting in free agency. Without many assets in the way of draft picks, the Nets have to get creative in adding young talent to the roster, and reclamation projections are a good way to go about it.

Bennett has yet to truly get a real chance at consistent playing time in the NBA, and the Nets could potentially provide that, but Bennett would have to earn it. With Trevor Booker signed earlier in the offseason, Scola signed yesterday and Chris McCullough already on the roster, the Nets have some good competition at power forward.

That could make the Nets a poor landing spot for Bennett, but he has arguably more upside than anyone that the Nets currently have on the roster. Also, for a player that has struggled to gain traction as much as Bennett has, it would be difficult to turn down any opportunity with an NBA team.

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There is only so many chances that a player will get to get their NBA career on track, even for someone who is only 23-years old and with the draft pedigree that Bennett has being a former No.1 overall selection.