Multiple Teams Interested In Anderson Varejao

7:45pm: The Spurs and Mavericks are also among the teams interested in Varejao, Stein writes in a full-length story. Dallas is reportedly the frontrunner to sign David Lee once he clears waivers, so it is possible that the Mavs consider Varejao a secondary option, though that is merely my speculation.

6:51pm: The Warriors are among the teams that have expressed interest in signing Varejao once he clears waivers, Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets.

12:18pm: The Thunder have swiftly jumped into the market for Anderson Varejao, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said in an appearance with Tony Cartagena on ESPN Cleveland Radio today (audio link; scroll to seven-minute mark). Windhorst also links the Clippers and the Bulls to Varejao, though that appears to be speculative. The Trail Blazers waived Varejao on Thursday after acquiring him via trade from the Cavaliers, who can’t re-sign him for 12 months.

Oklahoma City shed $3.615MM in salary and roughly another $6MM in projected luxury tax penalties thanks to Thursday’s trade to acquire Randy Foye. The Thunder are still well over the tax threshold, but the cost of a prorated minimum-salary contract for Varejao would pale in comparison to what the team would have spent if it hadn’t pulled off the trade with the Nuggets that sent out D.J. Augustin and Steve Novak. Oklahoma City sent an undisclosed amount of cash to Denver in the swap, but it couldn’t have been more than $1.9MM.

The deal also opened a roster spot for the Thunder, so they wouldn’t have to make a corresponding move to add Varejao. The 33-year-old big man must first clear waivers before signing with any team, though that’s likely a formality, given the nearly $10MM in guaranteed salary his contract would entail for next season.

The Thunder have a prorated portion of their $3.376MM taxpayer’s mid-level exception that they could use to outbid other suitors, though doing so would cut into the money the team saved in the trade.