Former No. 1 overall pick Anthony Bennett is one step closer to a return to the NBA.
According to a report from The Athletic's Shams Charania, Bennett and the Houston Rockets have reached an agreement on a non-guaranteed deal.
Former No. 1 pick Anthony Bennett has agreed to a non-guaranteed deal with the Houston Rockets, league sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 13, 2019
Bennett joins the Rockets having spent the last two seasons with the Maine Red Claws, Northern Arizona Suns and Agua Caliente Clippers of the NBA G League. The 26-year-old appeared in 25 games (seven starts) with the G League Clippers in 2018-19, posting averages of 12.2 points and 4.5 rebounds while shooting 54.6% from the field and 45.3% from beyond the arc.
His best performance came on Nov. 30, 2018, when he erupted for 36 points by shooting 12-for-13 from the field and 8-for-9 from beyond the arc. In addition to his scoring outburst, Bennett grabbed six rebounds, dished out an assist and snagged one steal.
2013 @NBA Draft No. 1 overall pick @AnthonyBennett dropped a CAREER-HIGH 36 PTS & EIGHT TRIPLES in the @ACClippers win on Friday night 🔥🔥🔥@TheRunninRebels ↗️ @ACClippers pic.twitter.com/MVL5czVww5
— NBA G League (@nbagleague) December 1, 2018
He stands to join a Rockets team that finished fourth in the Western Conference and looks to reload following the reported acquisition of All-NBA guard Russell Westbrook.
Bennett has appeared in 151 games with the Cavs, Timberwolves, Raptors and Nets and has posted career averages of 4.4 points and 3.1 rebounds per game. Houston will afford him an opportunity to re-establish himself in the league and showcase his improvement from over the last few years.