The Cavaliers have had discussions with Joel Bell, the agent for free agent big man Larry Sanders, league sources tell Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net. Chris Haynes of ESPN.com tweets that Cleveland is believed to have a workout lined up with Sanders, while Keith Smith of RealGM adds (via Twitter) that the audition will happen today.
With Chris Andersen no longer on the roster and Kevin Love on the shelf with a knee injury, the Cavs are fairly thin in the frontcourt, so if Sanders impresses in his workout, he could earn a deal with the team, as Smith notes. Currently, the Cavs have 13 fully guaranteed contracts on their books, with Derrick Williams set to sign a new 10-day deal. That leaves one open roster spot, though I’d expect Cleveland to wait until after the trade deadline to make a decision on Sanders or any other free agent.
A first-round pick in 2010, Sanders hasn’t played in the NBA since the 2014/15 season, when he announced that he was leaving the game for personal reasons. The Bucks waived him under the stretch provision, and he remains on the team’s cap at about $1.866MM per season through 2021/22. That figure would be reduced by setoff if he signs with another organization.
Sanders, now 28, flashed promising upside during his initial stint in the NBA. In the 2012/13 season, the last time he was fully healthy, Sanders averaged 9.8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game. Injuries and off-the-court problems limited him to 50 games over his last two seasons in the NBA.
Bell recently expressed optimism that his client would be on an NBA roster soon, telling Gery Woelfel of The Racine Journal Times that a lot of teams had expressed interest in Sanders, and at least one of those clubs had made a contract offer.
Weird that he stayed on the teams books even though he’s the one who chose to quit and leave.
It’s called negotiation. If you don’t pay me that way, then I’m hurt and I’ll stay home and get paid my full salary. Stretch provision allows a smaller annual cap hit.
Well, thats what a buy out is.
I’d take the almost two million a year and sit on my a$$ until 2021.
It would be great for Cleveland
Dude had legit mental health problems that he’s gotten taken care of. The Bucks didn’t want him around and they would have had to pay him or keep him around when he wasn’t in a good place. He had the smarts to take a step back instead of becoming a Robert Swift. Also if he comes back his new contract will offset what the bucks owe him. But then again who know i dont think i own a team because i buy a 20 dollar hat to “pay their wages” so i dont too emotional about it. I’m a fan not an owner it doesn’t concern me any.
I really don’t understand how a fictional late night TV host played by a dead man can help out the 2016/2017 Cavaliers.
heh
heh-heh
Seems like Sanders could hang out with Kyrie rollin’ fatties and talkin’ ’bout the flat earth…just the guy that Cleveland needs right now to put them over the top, not a destabilizing influence at all.