According to a report by Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times, a Western Conference team has had internal discussions about the idea of signing former Bucks center Larry Sanders. It’s unknown which team is reportedly interested, or even whether Sanders desires to play again. The 26-year-old cast some doubt on the notion after his buyout deal with Milwaukee last February. Woelfel reported in April that Sanders still had no desire to return to the game, and the player had spoken in early June about his peace with life away from basketball.
The Mavericks and Clippers, as well as the Cavs, all reportedly had at least some level of interest in Sanders toward the end of last season, though all but the Mavericks appear set roster-wise for the time being. That’s not to say that the unnamed team from Woelfel’s report is indeed Dallas, though it would certainly be reasonable to speculate that the Mavericks would have some passing level of interest given the current state of their center rotation. The Mavs have a need for a clear-cut starter at center, though they do happen to have 15 fully guaranteed salaries plus a $500K partial guarantee out to JaVale McGee currently on the books. Both Tim Cato of SB Nation’s Mavs Moneyball and Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com confirmed that the Mavs continue to have interest in Sanders, but noted that no talks are currently ongoing.
This bring me to the question/topic of the day: Which team, if any, would be the best fit for Larry Sanders if he were to return to the NBA this season?
A motivated and healthy Sanders could be a game-changing pickup at this point of the preseason, but adding him comes with some level of risk, and his commitment level would be a constant topic of conversation for the team. If I were a team like the Mavericks, who have an aging Dirk Nowitzki, and a clear need for an upgrade at the pivot, signing Sanders to a non-guaranteed, make-good deal would carry little risk and could possibly pay off big time.
But that’s merely my opinion, and now it’s time for you to offer up yours. Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts on which team, if any, you believe could use Sanders’ particular skill set. Also, no need to stop there, go ahead and tell us why you feel that way. We look forward to what you have to say.
Clippers if he wants to win. Mavs if he wants to compete with 3 other centers. Or he could come to the lakers who need a backup big and play decent minutes behind Hibbert
Young teams who need a defensive anchor (similar to how the Lakers acquired Roy Hibbert) are ideal for Sanders, such as the Nuggets (provide help for Nurkic and not rely on PFs like Faried, Lauvergne, and Hickson playing C), Magic (Vucevic is offensive beast, not so much defensively), Pacers (while trading Ian Mahinmi), and Hornets (Al Jefferson deterioration). Some speculative fits could include the Celtics (pending extensions and fits of new players) and Trail Blazers (after sifting through other young players).
It would have to be a young team with the freedom to gamble — somewhere he wouldn’t ruin the chemistry if he flames out again.
I’d think that Sanders would be more of a risk on a young team, seeing as those players are more impressionable. If Sanders’s passion and attitude aren’t where they need to be…there’s a risk in that rubbing off and “tainting” a young player or players. That’s not a concern for a veteran-laden squad.
Orlando Magic, Scott Skiles was key in his development into an elite defender and the Magic have a need of a starting calibre big that is compatible with Vucevic