The long and winding road of Larry Sanders’ NBA career comeback might finally have hit a dramatic moment. Sanders has been mentioned for years as “staying ready” or “preparing for” a comeback after retiring from the league, basically to go hang out and be young. But it turns out that NBA money is a pretty good reason to work for a living at it, and finally, he might have found a team desperate enough to take a chance on him.
The Vertical reports Sanders is closing in on a deal with the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers:
Larry Sanders is close to completing his NBA comeback, engaging in serious discussions toward a contract with the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers, league sources told The Vertical.Sanders and the Cavaliers are still discussing the agreement, and a deal could happen as soon as Monday, league sources said.
Source: Sources: Larry Sanders in serious contract discussions with Cavs.
Honestly, this feels like some sort of ongoing cold war accumulation of borderline NBA players. The Cavaliers got Dahntay Jones. The Warriors added Anderson Varejao. Then Golden State added JaVale McGree. Now the Cavaliers add Sanders. We’re two steps from Golden State Warrior Stephen Marbury and Cleveland Cavalier DeShawn Stevenson. What’s the worst NBA player that you can take on and still win an NBA championship?
Sanders is a tall body, though, and someone whose rim protection is exactly what the Cavs need after Andrew Bogut’s injury. It’s a good pickup, if only because it’s a pickup, and it fits the mold of what they need. Can Sanders contribute? Is his heart really in it? Can he recover some of the ability that had him as one of the most dominant defensive forces in the league? The Cavs don’t need much from him, but it’ll still be fascinating to see whether Sanders can recover and be a real contributor on a team with expectations this high. And man, Sanders vs. JaVale could be something ... um ... special.
