With the No.1 pick in the NBA Draft, the Minnesota Timberwolves have the opportunity to have the last three No.1 overall picks on their roster. The trade of Kevin Love got Minnesota Anthony Bennett and Andrew Wiggins and this year Karl-Anthony Towns could be the next player to join that rotation. However, heading into the draft, the Timberwolves are exploring the trade market with Bennett up for sale.
According to ESPN's Marc Stein, the Timberwolves are seeing what the value of Anthony is ahead of Thursday's draft considering they are expected to draft Towns at that position. Despite being a No.1 pick, Bennett has shown very little in the NBA in his first two seasons. Minnesota is hoping to sell teams on the idea that Bennett simply needs a change of scenery and a place he can settle into.
Are the Boston Celtics buying that idea? According to Jake Fischer of the Boston Globe, the Celtics and Timberwolves are discussing a deal that would send Bennett along with picks No.31 and 36 to Boston while the team gives up their No.28 pick in the draft. Boston has been looking for a way to trade that late pick in recent days and acquiring Bennett would be a solid option for the team. The interest in Bennett has been non-existent as Boston is the only team that has emerged as a contender for a deal.
The Celtics likely only strike a deal if they fail to trade up in the draft. Boston currently owns the No.16 and 28th pick in the first round and would ideally like to put those together and move up into the lottery picks of the draft with a center in mind. The Boston Herald has linked the team to everyone from Willie Cauley-Stein and Justise Winslow to Bobby Portis and potentially Frank Kaminsky. All of those players require a move up the draft board. If Boston somehow misses out on getting a deal, then trading for Bennett makes a bit more sense. However, it is hard to see the former No.1 overall pick staying in Boston for long.
The Los Angeles Lakers might be an option for a trade simply because they too hold a late-round pick in the first round, but the team has shown no interest. The Timberwolves clearly do not see a future with Bennett, but neither does any other team. Instead, rookies like Winslow and even Kevon Looney or Myles Turner are being looked at with more favor than a player like Bennett who has experience.
