Larry Sanders To Play In BIG3

Another notable NBA veteran has joined the BIG3’s draft pool, according to Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype, who tweets that big man Larry Sanders is looking to resume his basketball career by playing in the 3-on-3 league this summer. The BIG3 posted a photo of Sanders participating in its pre-draft combine on Tuesday.

Sanders, the 15th overall pick in the 2010 draft, appeared in 238 regular season games over the course of six NBA seasons with the Bucks and Cavs. In 19.5 minutes per contest, he contributed 6.4 PPG, 5.7 RPG, and an impressive 1.8 BPG. He last appeared in an NBA game in April 2017.

A variety of off-court factors related to anxiety, depression, and marijuana use ultimately derailed Sanders’ career. However, as a result of being waived via the stretch provision, he’ll continue to be paid approximately $1.87MM per year by the Bucks through 2021/22.

While Sanders is still just 30 years old and his rim-protecting skills would certainly be a fit for the modern game, an NBA comeback appears to be a long shot for now. So far, Josh Childress is the only player to sign an NBA contract after playing in the BIG3, and he was waived by the Nuggets before the 2017/18 regular season begin.

Jason Terry, Joe Johnson, Al Jefferson, Lamar Odom, Gilbert Arenas, Kendrick Perkins, Josh Smith, and Mario Chalmers are among the other NBA veterans to commit to the BIG3 for the 2019 season.