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Brooklyn Nets Waive Former No.1 Overall Pick Anthony Bennett

By Kenneth Teape

Dec 20, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Brooklyn Nets forward Anthony Bennett (13) during their game against the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre. The Raptors beat the Nets 116-104. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 20, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Brooklyn Nets forward Anthony Bennett (13) during their game against the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre. The Raptors beat the Nets 116-104. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Brooklyn Nets have released former No.1 overall pick Anthony Bennett to make room for veteran Quincy Acy.

The Brooklyn Nets have ended the Anthony Bennett era. The team announced on Monday that they will be releasing the former No.1 overall pick, ending yet another underwhelming and uninspiring run for Bennett.

Bennett was selected with the No.1 overall pick in 2013 by the Cleveland Cavaliers out of UNLV. It was a decision that shocked a lot of people, and the people who questioned the selection have been saying, “I told you so,” ever since.

It is not Bennett’s fault that the Cavaliers selected him with the first pick, but it will be tough to shake the bust label. He has been unable to gain any true footing in the NBA and has bounced around in his career. The Nets were the fourth team in four NBA seasons for Bennett, something that is unheard of for a top pick.

Bennett lasted only one season with the Cavaliers before he was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves, along with 2014 No.1 overall pick Andrew Wiggins, in a package for Kevin Love. Bennett was not long for Minnesota, as they released him in September 2015.

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Bennett, who hails from Toronto, Canada, was then signed by his hometown team. He would play in 19 games with the Raptors and make appearances in the NBA D-League during the season. But, he didn’t last a full season under contract with the Raptors, who released him in March 2016.

Bennett was then signed by the Nets this past summer. It was a low-risk, high reward move by the Nets. There was a chance at playing time in Brooklyn and a chance to get his NBA career on track.  The Nets talked highly of Bennett during the summer, and Bennett was happy for the chance to play with Brooklyn.

Ultimately, that was just a lot of talk as Bennett was not long for Brooklyn and he didn’t receive much of a chance at playing time. He appeared in 23 games for the Nets, averaging 5.0 points and 3.4 rebounds in 11.5 minutes per game.

For his career, Bennett is averaging 4.4 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. Those numbers will put him right at the top of all draft bust conversations as he is running out of chances in the NBA.

The Nets, meanwhile, will waste little time filling Bennett’s spot. They will reportedly sign veteran Quincy Acy to a 10-day contract to replace Bennett. Acy has been playing with the Texas Legends, the D-League affiliate of the Dallas Mavericks, in recent weeks. He began the season with the Mavericks, but appeared in only six games. The Nets will be the fifth organization that Acy suits up for, as he has played with the Raptors, Sacramento Kings, and New York Knicks previously. He

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The Nets will be the fifth organization that Acy suits up for, as he has played with the Raptors, Sacramento Kings, and New York Knicks previously. He had two separate stints with the Kings, and is in his fifth season in the NBA.

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