Brazilian big man Anderson Varejao, who had played his entire 12-year career thus far with Cleveland, was traded by the Cavs at the deadline on Thursday. But don’t cry for him Argentina (damn, wrong South American country) because Varejao could be latching on with another contender soon enough.
Relaying a report by Brian Windhorst of ESPN on Friday, Royce Young of DailyThunder.com revealed that the Oklahoma City Thunder have interest in signing the 33-year-old Varejao, who was bought out by the Portland Trail Blazers shortly after being acquired from Cleveland. Young does note, however, that Varejao would likely not see any meaningful playing time and would instead serve as a veteran voice in the Thunder locker room.
According to @WindhorstESPN, the Thunder have interest in recently bought out Anderson Varejao.
— Royce Young (@royceyoung) February 19, 2016
Varejao wouldn't see actual rotation minutes, but certainly is a highly respected veteran presence to have in the locker room.
— Royce Young (@royceyoung) February 19, 2016
Varejao only saw 10.0 minutes per game for Cleveland this season. His chronic inability to stay healthy has been a millstone as well. But at this point in his career, Varejao’s impact goes far beyond his efforts on the court.
The former No. 30 overall pick has been to numerous postseasons with the Cavs, and his general aura of scrappiness and hustle would be a welcome addition to the Thunder culture. With 35-year-old Nick Collison and 32-year-old Randy Foye, who was just acquired by Oklahoma City at Thursday’s deadline, on the roster as well, the signing of Varejao would round out a nice complement to the Thunder’s talented young core of players.
Image Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
