NBA Rumors: Brooklyn Nets Signing Anthony Bennett

Being the first overall selection in the NBA Draft does not guarantee that you will do well at the professional level. According to ESPN, the Brooklyn Nets are signing Anthony Bennett to a two-year contract worth the minimum. The Toronto native is trying to prove that he deserves to be in the National Basketball Association.

If there was a team in the NBA right now that could take a risk on a young player with high potential, it is the Brooklyn Nets. Aside from not having championship aspirations at the moment, the team is in dire need of star power, even if it has to create it from within.

Brook Lopez is probably the biggest star that the Brooklyn Nets have on their roster. He is a very good center that battles for a spot on the All-Star team. Some might argue that Jeremy Lin, who was recently signed away from the Charlotte Hornets in free agency, is the second biggest star for the Nets.

Anthony Bennett reportedly signs two-year minimum deal with Brooklyn Nets https://t.co/3bmZbeR9OR pic.twitter.com/bUzi7pah1v

— Bleacher Report NBA (@BR_NBA) July 14, 2016

One of the things that prevented Anthony Bennett from becoming a star in the NBA was his physical conditioning. In college, it was much easier to just rely on athleticism and talent. Bennett is said to be in much better shape nowadays.

Since they spent the first overall pick on him in 2013, the Cleveland Cavaliers were hoping that Anthony Bennett would have blossomed better than he currently has. That was before LeBron James decided to leave the Miami Heat in free agency to return to the Cavaliers, a move that enabled the franchise to win their first NBA Championship a couple of weeks ago.

The Minnesota Timberwolves and Toronto Raptors have also taken chances on Anthony Bennett. Both franchises were hoping that he could finally learn to become an NBA star under their watch, but that failed to happen, so the 6-foot-8 forward was left to find yet another home in the league.

Thanks to some bad gambles, the Brooklyn Nets do not have a first round draft pick until 2019. Since it is really difficult to build a team through second round picks, management is going to need to uncover some gems by other methods, such as low-risk free agency signings.

Earlier this year, the Brooklyn Nets hired Kenny Atkinson as their new head coach, as reported by ESPN. Fortunately for the franchise, he has a very good track record of developing younger players, which should bode well for Anthony Bennett.

The best case scenario for the Brooklyn Nets is that Anthony Bennett finally becomes ambitious enough to want to be a starter in the NBA. Their starting power forward position is just waiting to be taken, now that Thaddeus Young has been traded to the Indiana Pacers.

Earlier this offseason, the Brooklyn Nets signed Trevor Booker, as reported by CBS Sports. He’s currently said to be the favorite to win the starting power forward position, especially since he is being paid approximately $18.5 million.

ESPN reports that the Brooklyn Nets signed Luis Scola earlier this week. While he will provide competition for the starting power forward position, management is hoping that he is just a short term solution. They want someone younger, such as Anthony Bennett, to capture the position and own it for the next several years.

Anthony Bennett is receiving another chance in the NBA. He needs to prove that he belongs with the best basketball players in the world. Otherwise, it is going to be really hard for Bennett to receive other opportunities in the future.

[Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images]