The last time we heard from Anderson Varejao, he accepted a championship ring from the Golden State Warriors after playing 14 games for them back in 2017. Then he played for Brazilian league powerhouse Flamengo for the 2018–19 season. After that, he has been out of basketball.
Until now. The Cavaliers will sign the popular big man for the remainder of the season, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic.
13-year NBA veteran Anderson Varejao plans to sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers for the remainder of the season, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Varejao is returning to the franchise with which he’s spent 12 decorated years.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 30, 2021
The challenge here is the Cavaliers do not have an open roster spot. They are going to apply for a hardship exception with the league in hopes of bringing Varejao back for a proper sendoff, reports Chris Fedor at the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Varejao was a fan (and LeBron) favorite with the Cavaliers for a decade but finished his career with Golden State. He averaged 7.3 points and 7.2 assists per game, made the NBA All-Defensive Team one season, and teammates loved him for his hard-nosed style of play. That veteran presence inside will be welcomed by a Cavaliers team playing out the string.