76ers GM: 'We didn't have any conversations' about acquiring Anthony Bennett
Philadelphia 76ers general manager Sam Hinkie said the idea of adding Anthony Bennett in the three-team deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Minnesota Timberwolves was never discussed.
“I can tell you unequivocally we didn’t have any conversations about him,” Hinkie said on a conference call Tuesday.
Bennett was dealt from the Cavaliers to the Timberwolves in the trade that sent Kevin Love to Cleveland and 2014 first-overall pick Andrew Wiggins to Minnesota, along with Thaddeus Young and a $6.3-million trade exception.
The 76ers acquired guard Alexey Shved, forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and Miami's lottery-protected 2015 first-round pick from the Timberwolves.
Hinkie called the deal “a move we think moves our program forward. One [thing] that matters is a first-round pick in the ‘15 draft. That’s important. You don’t see a lot of first-rounders trading hands.”
The Sixers had the youngest team in NBA history last season, so their GM believes bringing in a six-year veteran like Mbah a Moute was critical.
"We’ve talked about this a lot over the past 12-plus months,” Hinkie said. “It is important for our young players to have other players to look up to. Last year, a lot of that fell to Brett [Brown] and our coaching staff.”
[H/T Pro Basketball Talk]