It’s still kind of weird that Anderson Varejao is no longer a Cleveland Cavalier. Ever since coming to the NBA in 2004, Varejao has been a member of the wine and gold, so seeing him take the floor in another uni is going to take some getting used to.
As for the whole “new team for Varejao” thing, it looks like he could be headed out west soon. That is because the Golden State Warriors are reportedly interested in acquiring the services of the 33 year-old big man, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.
ESPN sources say that Golden State is among the teams contemplating a run at soon-to-be free agent Anderson Varejao
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 20, 2016
The Warriors, I'm told, are still in fact-finding mode, but are weighing the pros and cons of pursuing Varejao after he clears waivers.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 20, 2016
When asked about the possible acquisition of Varejao, Warriors coach Steve Kerr mentioned that he thought he could help the team out, but decided to have a little fun and not use the Brazilian’s name.
“I have not been notified of that but it makes perfect sense, right?” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Friday night. “I don’t even know, am I allowed to even mention his name? I can get fined by the NBA. I don’t even know what the rule is.”
The Warriors are almost definitely going to be in the market for a short-term solution at center. The team’s usual backup is Festus Ezeli, but he’s going to be on the sidelines for a few weeks after undergoing a procedure on his knee. Sure, the team has that killer small-ball lineup where Draymond Green will replace Andrew Bogut at center, but for a more conventional big man, there aren’t many guys on the market who are more proven than Varejao.
Of course, signing Varejao is a risk because of his spotty injury history – he appeared in 31 games for the Cavs this year and has played in more than 31 games once in the last six years. But if he’s healthy, Varejao would be exactly what Golden State needs for the next few weeks.
