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The Toronto Raptors announced Monday they have signed free-agent forward Anthony Bennett.
As a former first overall NBA Draft pick, Bennett has been a bust so far in the NBA. He will have to prove his value in the league fairly soon, or else he may wind up having to play overseas in the future.
Bennett, 6-foot-8, 245 pounds, averaged 5.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 15.7 minutes in 57 games last season with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He scored in double figures on eight occasions, including a stretch of four consecutive games. He recorded a career-best 20 points, with career highs of three steals and 32 minutes, November 21 versus San Antonio.
Bennett has appeared in 109 career NBA games, averaging 4.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and 14.3 minutes. He grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds at Philadelphia as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers on February 18, 2014.
The native of Toronto was the first Canadian-born player selected with the top pick in the NBA Draft when he went number one overall to Cleveland in 2013. He was dealt August 23, 2014 to Minnesota in a three-team trade.
Bennett was named Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year following his lone collegiate season at UNLV. He averaged 16.1 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and 27.1 minutes in 35 games (32 starts). He shot .533 percent from the field, including a team-best .375 mark from the three-point line.
