Anderson Varejao Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Varejao: “I Don’t Want To Be Traded”

February 11th, 2013 at 8:45am CST by Luke Adams

In his first interview since he underwent surgery for the blood clot in his lung, Anderson Varejao spoke to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports about how lucky he feels to have survived the ordeal. While most of the conversation focused on Varejao's health, the subject of trade rumors surfaced as well, with Varejao telling Spears that he hopes to remain in Cleveland for the rest of his contract.

"If they trade me, they trade me," Varejao said. "I'm happy here. I don't want to be traded."

Varejao was a frequently-discussed trade candidate before he was sidelined by a quadriceps injury and the blood-clot surgery, but as he tells Spears, he hasn't heard his name mentioned in trade talks since going under the knife. With another two years on his contract, which includes a partially-guaranteed 2014/15, the 30-year-old could re-emerge as a trade candidate down the road, but for this month at least, he appears unlikely to be moved.

Even though Varejao probably isn't going anywhere, the Cavs are still expected to be active in trade discussions over the next 10 days, as the team is armed with about $4MM in cap space, along with a handful of expiring contracts.

Finnan On Cavs, Varejao, Draft Targets, Speights

January 26th, 2013 at 11:15pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Bob Finnan of The News-Herald hears that Cavaliers GM Chris Grant could be looking to deal Luke Walton, Daniel Gibson, Omri Casspi (all expiring contracts), or even Marreese Speights (citing ESPN's Marc Stein) by the February trade deadline. He also shared a few more noteworthy tidbits in his NBA Notes piece:

One reason why the team won't look to move Anderson Varejao is that he could be one of LeBron James' preferred counterparts should the current Heat star look to eventually return to Cleveland.
Indiana's Cody Zeller, Kentucky's Nerlens Noel, and Maryland's Alex Len are among the top talented big men that the Cavs could target in June's NBA draft. Finnan adds that the addition of Marreese Speights has no bearing on the team's interest in drafting a big man during the offseason.
Due to his ability to veto his inclusion in a trade, Speights lost his Bird Rights, which essentially prevents Cleveland from being able to exceed the cap to re-sign him. The 6'10 forward owns a $4.5MM player option for next season, but could end up pursuing a multi-year deal this summer if he plays well for the rest of the year.

Anderson Varejao Out For Season

January 21st, 2013 at 10:17am CST by Luke Adams

Anderson Varejao will be sidelined for the remainder of the season after developing a blood clot in his lung, the Cavaliers announced today in a press release. The issue surfaced shortly after Varejao had undergone leg surgery that was expected to keep him out of action for six to eight weeks.

"Clearly our players' health is our top concern and we are disappointed for Anderson, and his family," said GM Chris Grant in a statement. "We know what a competitor he is and how much he wants to be on the court helping his teammates. In the meantime, he has our full support and we look forward to welcoming him back as he recovers."

While Varejao is expected to make a full recovery, his absence will hurt the Cavs' on-court prospects this season, with the team likely headed for another high lottery pick. Varejao's latest health issue also figures to rule out the possibility that Cleveland will trade him this season. We've seen sidelined stars moved at the deadline before, such as Andrew Bogut a year ago, but I'd be shocked if the Cavs dealt Varejao while he undergoes treatment for the blood clot.

Because the deadline to apply for a disabled player exception came and went last week, the Cavaliers won't be able to request a DPE for Varejao. However, it wouldn't have been of use for the Cavs anyway, since the team has more room in cap space than the amount such an exception would have been worth ($4.18MM).

Central Notes: Varejao, Prince, Bucks, Boylan

January 16th, 2013 at 10:28am CST by Luke Adams

Losing Anderson Varejao for a good chunk of the season was a blow to the Cavaliers' on-court prospects and to the team's chances of extracting value for him at the trade deadline, but it wasn't just the Cavs that were adversely affected by Varejao's leg injury. According to ESPN.com's Marc Stein (Twitter link), earning an All-Star berth would have triggered a $1MM bonus in Varejao's contract. Given the big man's strong performance early in the season (14.1 PPG, 14.4 RPG, 22.0 PER), an All-Star berth appeared well within reach before he was sidelined.

Here are a few more Wednesday morning items out of the Central Division:

Despite a recent report suggesting the Pistons aren't interested in trading Tayshaun Prince, the veteran forward recognizes he's not untouchable, as Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News writes. Still, Prince has no desire to ask the Pistons to trade him: "One day it might hit me. I might get in a position where it's time for me to win one more (championship). To go to a contender-type team. I might go to Joe [Dumars] that day and say, 'It's time for me to move on' and play that route. But now is not the time."
While he'd been excited to join the Bucks in the offseason, Samuel Dalembert was disappointed by Scott Skiles' use of him — the veteran center is averaging his fewest minutes per game since his rookie year in 2001/02. Dalembert spoke to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times about his relationship with Skiles, and says "everyone is enthusiastic" about the change to new coach Jim Boylan.
Ersan Ilyasova, who signed a five-year deal with the Bucks last summer, is also pleased with the team's coaching change, having been re-inserted into the starting lineup. So far, Boylan has made the moves that will benefit the franchise long-term, writes Stephen Brotherson of HoopsWorld.

Kyler’s Latest: Kings, Gasol, Magic, Bucks, Jazz

January 15th, 2013 at 10:19am CST by Luke Adams

Steve Kyler's latest piece for HoopsWorld is packed full of updates on players who could be on the move before this season's trade deadline. Kyler covers plenty of ground in his column, so let's dive right in and round up the highlights….

The Kings' uncertain ownership situation may result in a quiet trade deadline in Sacramento. While the situation could change between now and February 21st, Kyler says that for now the team appears "frozen in terms of making deals."
Kyler suggests it's possible the Grizzlies will explore ways of getting below the luxury tax line that don't involve trading a big contract like Rudy Gay's.
The Lakers aren't engaged in any trade talks involving Pau Gasol, and may not seriously explore a Gasol deal unless they fall out of the playoff hunt by the deadline.
While J.J. Redick is drawing plenty of interest, rival teams have also called the Magic about Arron Afflalo and Jameer Nelson. If Orlando makes a move, the club would like to include Glen Davis or Hedo Turkoglu to shed some long-term salary.
Pointing to Andrew Bogut as an example of an injured player who was dealt last season, Kyler warns not to rule out Anderson Varejao as a trade candidate.
The Bucks are much more inclined to move players like Beno Udrih, Drew Gooden, and Samuel Dalembert than Monta Ellis or Brandon Jennings, but those secondary pieces aren't drawing much interest.
Al Jefferson seems more likely than Paul Millsap to re-sign with the Jazz this summer, though clubs have been in touch with the Jazz about both players.
The Spurs "will be dealing" DeJuan Blair before the deadline, according to Kyler.
Derrick Williams appears unlikely to be moved by the Timberwolves while Kevin Love remains sidelined with his broken hand.
Several teams have been calling the Suns to inquire on Marcin Gortat. The Rockets are one team believed to have interest.

Eastern Notes: Pierce, Sixers, Bynum, Vogel

January 12th, 2013 at 4:22pm CST by Chuck Myron

It’s more than reasonable for the Celtics to consider cashing out on an aging Paul Pierce for young assets to be used towards rebuilding, opines Joel Brigham of HoopsWorld. In another season and a half, the veteran could retire or walk away from Boston with no compensation. His trade value may never be as high as it will be now through the 2013 draft, and this may be the time to act, according to Brigham. Here's more from around the Eastern Conference.

Sixers GM Tony DiLeo told reporters, including Tom Moore of PhillyBurbs.com, that the team will try to stay in contention for a playoff spot until Andrew Bynum gets back, and may make short-term upgrades that don't cut into next summer's cap space.
DiLeo also said the Sixers "are still looking at Andrew as a long-term solution," indicating they still plan on trying to re-sign him this summer.
The extension Frank Vogel signed with the Pacers this week runs through 2014/15, and will pay the coach $2MM per season, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com.
J.J. Redick doesn’t want to be traded away from the Magic, but after hearing from GM Rob Hennigan that several teams have expressed interest, he's girding himself for the possibility, writes John Denton of Magic.com.
The Heat signed Josh Harrellson and Jarvis Varnado to ten-day contracts simply to stall for time until something better comes along, writes Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. The Heat can get a better sense of what might be available to add at either the trading deadline or buyout deadline.
Anderson Varejao's injury isn't devastating to his long-term trade value, as The Plain Dealer's Mary Schmitt Boyer examines.

Zach Links of Hoops Rumors also contributed to this post.

Varejao To Undergo Surgery, Miss 6-8 Weeks

January 9th, 2013 at 10:20am CST by Luke Adams

Anderson Varejao will undergo surgery on his right leg and is expected to miss six to eight more weeks, the Cavaliers announced today in a press release. The injury, initially diagnosed as a knee contusion, is now believed to require surgical intervention, as detailed by the Cavs in the release:

An MRI revealed the contused area included a small longitudinal split in the vastus medialis. Despite continued, gradual recovery of the contusion, symptoms also continued in the specific area of the split. Another MRI revealed an increase in the split and symptoms persisted. Dynamic ultrasound imaging also revealed tissue from underneath the split was herniating and pinching with knee flexion.

The extent of the injury is not only a blow to the Cavs on the court, but will also affect the team's ability to explore trades for Varejao this season. The February 21st trade deadline is only six weeks away as of tomorrow, which is when Varejao is scheduled to undergo the procedure. As such, it's very possible that the big man won't return to the lineup in time to show that he's healthy, making it hard for Cleveland to extract fair value in any deal.

Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors examined Varejao as a trade candidate back in December, noting at the end of the piece that the 30-year-old's health figured to be the biggest factor affecting his trade value.

Injury Updates: Rose, Gasol, Varejao, Shumpert

January 8th, 2013 at 11:18pm CST by Ryan Raroque

While injury news may not be part of our main scope at Hoops Rumors, we have a handful of updates to share this evening:

Kevin Love will travel to New York on Wednesday in order to determine whether or not he'll need surgery on his broken right hand, according to Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune.
Derrick Rose should be cleared for full-contact practice within the next two weeks, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune (Subscribers only). Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times provided another look at the superstar's return to practice today, noting that Rose looked good in "predictable contact" drills.
Kevin Ding of the OC Register (via Twitter) notes that Dwight Howard's injury is actually a separated shoulder (not a torn labrum) and that he hopes to return after a week of recovery. Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News tweets that Dwight's injury will not require surgery.

Central Rumors: Cavs, Jackson, Drummond, Cook

January 6th, 2013 at 3:28pm CST by Chuck Myron

Bob Finnan of The News-Herald blames Cavs GM Chris Grant and coach Byron Scott for the team's struggles this season, and calls on the team to take a more aggressive approach and pull the trigger on a deal for a "good, young piece" at the trade deadline if someone like that is available. The Cavs should carry that aggression into free agency, Finnan believes, and use their cap space for better assets than they've pursued recently. Finnan has more on the team, which we'll round up along with other notes from their Central Division rivals.

We've heard before that the Cavs and Wolves have had brief discussion about an Anderson Varejao trade, and Finnan confirms those talks, speculating that Minnesota would probably want to include Derrick Williams, a potential deal-breaker. Finnan believes the Cavs may have interest in taking back Nikola Pekovic instead.
There's been little talk of Scott's job security this season, but if the losing continues, Finnan doesn't foresee that immunity lasting into 2013/14.
Former Bucks swingman Stephen Jackson said he spoke with GM John Hammond about a contract extension during his time in Milwaukee, but never took a confrontational tone, as Jackson told Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times. Jackson expressed respect for Hammond and said he can envision working for him someday, though I'd guess he's referring to a front-office role rather than a return to the Bucks as a player. Jackson said Hammond was the only person from the Bucks organization he still spoke to, and balked at the suggestion that he'd reached out to coach Scott Skiles, with whom he feuded last season.
Andre Drummond has improved as the season has gone on, but he's content with the Pistons' plan to bring him along slowly, MLive's David Mayo observes.
Mayo and fellow MLive scribe Brendan Savage debate who got the better of Detroit's offseason trade with the Bobcats that swapped Ben Gordon for Corey Maggette.
Scott Powers of ESPNChicago.com writes that Daequan Cook understands that he must earn playing time with the Bulls after signing in Chicago this morning.

Amick’s Latest: Cousins, Evans, Heat, Bargnani

January 4th, 2013 at 3:14pm CST by Luke Adams

In their Friday A-Z piece for USA Today, Sam Amick and Jeff Zillgitt lead off by examining a number of potential teams and players that could be involved in trade talks in the next few weeks. Most of the juicier rumors come from Amick, so we'll round up the highlights from his section of the piece right here:

Geoff Petrie has said that the Kings aren't interested in trading DeMarcus Cousins, and it seems as if that sentiment is now being conveyed privately as well as publicly, according to Amick. However, the Kings would be open to listening to offers on Tyreke Evans or anyone else besides Cousins.
The Celtics and Mavericks are two teams that could shake things up before the deadline — both clubs are underperforming and have been known to be aggressive pursuing upgrades in the past.
The Heat would like to add a big man, but don't really have the assets needed to make a deal.
Nolan Smith is a good candidate to be moved before the deadline by the Trail Blazers.
The Cavaliers and Clippers won't be eager to move Anderson Varejao and Eric Bledsoe, respectively, but both teams should receive plenty of offers on those players, says Amick, noting that the Cavs' poor record will only increase the pressure to make a move.
Both Amick and Zillgitt identify the Raptors' Andrea Bargnani as the biggest name likely to be on the move by February 21st.