On Monday, Yahoo Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowksi reported this bit of news regarding Minnesota Timberwolves forward Anthony Bennett, the top selection in the 2013 draft:
Yahoo Sources: Minnesota progressing on contract buyout with former No. 1 pick Anthony Bennett. He would be free agent if clears waivers.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 21, 2015
Getting waived after just two seasons in the league will be a rather dubious honor for Bennett:
Bennett would be the first #1 pick not to make it to his 4th year on his rookie contract and the highest pick since Hasheem Thabeet.
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) September 21, 2015
The 22-year-old still has plenty of time to salvage his career, but barring a major turnaround, he could be the worst No. 1 pick since the NBA instituted the draft lottery in 1985. In two seasons with the T-Wolves and Cleveland Cavaliers, Bennett has averaged 4.7 points and 3.4 rebounds in 14.3 minutes per game.
"Bennett … is on track to be remembered as one of the all-time draft busts in league history. Nevertheless, no one beyond the Cavaliers front office had Bennett pegged as a top-10 pick in that draft – never mind No. 1 overall."
Here are the top three contenders for the most disappointing No. 1 draft choice of the lottery era:
1998 – Michael Olowokandi, Los Angeles Clippers: The seven-foot Olowokandi lasted nine years in the Association with the Clippers, Timberwolves and Boston Celtics. He averaged 8.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game for his career. In 2000-01, Olowokandi started all 82 contests for Los Angeles, then followed that up with double-figure scoring marks in each of the next two seasons.
2001 – Kwame Brown, Washington Wizards: Despite career averages of just 6.6 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, Brown managed to hang around the league for 12 years. In his third season with Washington, the 6’11” center put up 10.9 points and 7.4 rebounds in 30.3 minutes per contest.
2007 – Greg Oden, Portland Trail Blazers: Oden is still only 27 years old, but injuries have limited him to just 105 NBA games spanning parts of three seasons (most recently in 2013-14 with the Miami Heat). While Oden is likely the biggest bust on this list because of his inability to stay healthy, the talent appears to have always been there.
A comparison of each player’s second-year averages suggests the future is not bright for Bennett:
Olowokandi – 9.8 PTS, 8.2 REB, 1.8 BLK, 31.2 MIN
Brown – 7.4 PTS, 5.3 REB, 1.0 BLK, 22.2 MIN
Oden – 11.1 PTS, 8.5 REB, 2.3 BLK, 23.9 MIN
Bennett – 5.2 PTS, 3.8 REB, 0.8 AST, 15.7 MIN
When their skills didn’t pan out, Olowokandi and Brown had their height to fall back on. The 6’8″ Bennett does not.
Next: History Lesson: Lottery Success Doesn't Bring Championships
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