Veteran NBA center Anderson Varejao is reportedly close to signing a one-year contract to return to the Golden State Warriors for the 2016-17 NBA season.
According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, the Golden State Warriors “are nearing agreement on re-signing Brazilian big man Anderson Varejao to a one-year contract.”
The Warriors are nearing agreement on re-signing Brazilian big man Anderson Varejao to a one-year contract, according to league sources.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 14, 2016
Before signing with the Warriors after his release from the Portland Trail Blazers at the 2016 NBA trade deadline, Varejao had spent the previous 11.5 seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Interestingly, Varejao met his former team in the 2016 NBA Finals, ultimately losing to Cleveland in seven games.
With Golden State making a huge free agent acquisition in signing former Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Kevin Durant, the Warriors have had to scramble to fill their 15-man roster with veterans willing to play for very little money in an exploding NBA salary cap.
Signing Durant essentially cost the Warriors six of the 11 best players from last season: small forward Harrison Barnes, center Andrew Bogut, power forward Marreese Speights, wing Leandro Barbosa, center Festus Ezeli, and wing Brandon Rush. All six members of the 2015-16 Warriors will play the 2016-17 season elsewhere.
Though he was best known for his frequent flopping in the 2016 NBA Finals and his Sideshow Bob hairstyle, being able to keep Varejao was a necessity for the Warriors in terms of rim protection. Golden State ultimately lost the 2016 NBA Finals once Bogut went down in Game 5 because the Warriors couldn’t keep LeBron James and Kyrie Irving out of the paint.
Golden State will probably ask two recent signees in Zaza Pachulia and David West to take a bulk of the available Warriors’ front court minutes next year. However, neither Pachulia or West are adept at blocking shots. Bringing Varejao back at least helps in that regard for a Warriors team that might have sacrificed its league-best depth to go ahead and sign Durant.
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