Anthony Bennett – due a guaranteed $5,803,560 salary this season – agreed to a buyout with the Timberwolves.
For how much?
Jon Krawczynski of the Associated Press:
To carry the buyout number for Bennett out further, it's $3.65M. If claimed on waivers he gets full $5.80M. Can bridge gap w/FA contract
— Jon Krawczynski (@JonKrawczynski) September 23, 2015
If Bennett gets claimed off waivers, he’d keep his current contract – $5,803,560 guaranteed this season and a $7,318,289 team option for 2016-17 that must be exercised by this Nov. 2. That’d surely get declined, though it’s also unlikely someone claims in the first place.
If he clears waivers and becomes a free agent, Bennett’s minimum salary is $947,276. Assuming he agreed to waive his set-off, that’d leave him $1,206,284 short of his original salary.
Bennett would need to make $2,153,560 next season to break even. It’s extremely unlikely someone offers him that much.
At least Bennett will get to choose his new team – one that won’t stick him behind Karl-Anthony Towns, Kevin Garnett, Adreian Payne and Nemanja Bjelica.
That might pay off in the long run.