The Cleveland Cavaliers have dominated the free agent and buyout markets this season, and on Monday the Cavs once again scooped up the best player out there.
Center Larry Sanders, who has been out of the game since 2014, has reportedly agreed to terms of a deal with the Cavs and is expected to be signed officially by the end of the day.
Larry Sanders has agreed on a deal to make NBA return with the Cavaliers, w/ likely 2017-18 option date, league sources tell @TheVertical.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 13, 2017
Cleveland on verge of signing free agent Larry Sanders, league sources tell ESPN. Sanders is in Cleveland and deal expected by end of day.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) March 13, 2017
Cleveland’s signing of Sanders comes on the four-year anniversary of his most iconic moment as an NBA player, getting ejected and giving exaggerated thumbs ups to all of the officials.
Today is the fourth anniversary of the Larry Sanders Thumbs Up Game pic.twitter.com/e9CW38gLXx
— Kevin Chouinard (@KLChouinard) March 13, 2017
The Sanders signing comes as little surprise, as the Cavs have been linked to Sanders for three weeks. After landing Andrew Bogut off of the buyout market, it seemed as though Sanders’ NBA comeback would have to happen somewhere other than Cleveland, but with Bogut going down just minutes into his Cavs debut with a broken leg, Sanders became the best available replacement option.
What Sanders can bring to the Cavs after more than two years out of the league is still yet to be determined, but if he can return to the form that made him a budding star in Milwaukee in the short bursts of action Cleveland will ask him to play in, this could be a very good match. Sanders was once one of the league’s most fearsome shot blockers and is also a quality rebounder, both things the Cavs could use off the bench.
Having added Deron Williams, Bogut and now Sanders after the trade deadline, it’s safe to say the Cavs have heeded LeBron James’ advice to bring in more help for the playoff run. What Williams and Sanders can bring to an extended postseason run is up in the air, but if nothing else, they’ll give the Cavs some much needed depth to finish the regular season before the rotation tightens up for the playoffs.
