NBA Draft 2013: Anthony Bennett Overweight In Draft Process

March 20, 2013; San Jose, CA, USA; UNLV Rebels forward Anthony Bennett (15) addresses the media in a press conference during practice the day before the second round of the 2013 NCAA tournament at HP Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

According to ESPN Insider Chad Ford, UNLV bigman Anthony Bennett has gained 18 pounds during the draft process, since he’s unable to work out due to his shoulder injury which has kept him out of pre-draft workouts.

The Washington Wizards were reportedly very interested in Bennett, and could potentially use their third overall pick to snag the versatile forward out of Canada. This news obviously isn’t great for his draft stock, but Bennett’s injury combined with travel and an unstable diet likely contributed to his enormous weight gain.

Washington has dealt with players who had trouble staying in shape in the past. Of course, this is a different circumstance, but it’s worth noting that Andray Blatche’s demise in Washington likely came after he persistently failed to get into playing shape.

I’m sure Bennett will lose the weight once he gets clear to work out, but I’ll be interested to see how this news affects his draft stock, if at all.

Georgetown’s Otto Porter Jr. and Anthony Bennett are still the two likely picks for the Wizards on June 27th. There have been multiple reports claiming that Nerlens Noel’s stock may be slipping, which could cause a bit of a shake up on Washington’s big board.