Anderson Varejao has plenty of upside, but the Cleveland Cavaliers may be ready to move on.
After a relatively idle offseason, Cleveland is reportedly already entertaining the idea of moving the man who has become a perpetual double-double stat line.
According to Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon-Journal, Varejao may find himself on the chopping block once again before the season is out:
Varejao’s name continued to surface in trade talks over the summer, but he will start the year with the Cavaliers. It’s unclear whether or not he’ll finish it here.
He remains the team’s most valuable trade chip, because he can average a double-double without having a play called for him and he’s on a very reasonable contract that runs for three more years.
Now, the Brazilian big is no stranger to navigating the trade rumor-mill, he’s been doing it for years. But there’s something different this time around. There was never an overwhelming sensation that the Cavaliers would actually move him.
But, according to Bob Finnan of The News-Herald, that’s all changed:
It might not matter if Varejao starts or comes off the bench. He plays at a different intensity level than most of his teammates. The big question is whether the 30-year-old Varejao will be dealt at the trade deadline.
Multiple sources around the league think the Cavs will deal him this season.
There you have it. Courtesy of Tyler Zeller, this may actually be the year that Varejao is sent off to a new home.
But would pulling the trigger on such a deal be the right move?
As noted previously, Varejao has become a double-double machine. He’s a ferocious rebounder and calculated defender in general, and, while he’s limited on the offensive end, he finds ways to score, via put-backs, backdoor cuts or tip-ins. Is that a luxury the Cavaliers are willing to deal, especially considering how idle they remained this offseason?
Though the answer may be yes, it should be no.
I’m as excited to watch Tyler Zeller develop as anyone. He’s a fundamentally sound big man who can make an impact on both ends of the floor. Bulking up must be a priority of his, but what he lacks in strength, he makes up for in mobility. Simply put, with a little fine-tuning, this kid is going to make much more of an impact than most believe.
But he’s not enough. Varejao is under a reasonable contract—he’s owed $21.4 million over the next three years—and while he’d be easy to trade, what type of return could Cleveland expect to get back for him? After all, he’s not an All-Star, so the odds of the team even coming close to matching his value is less than slim.
Yet, what about the finances? If the Cavaliers manage to dump his salary in exchange for some expiring deals, won’t that give them more money to spend next summer?
Yes, it would, but are they liable to spend it? That’s the real question.
Cleveland had over $10 million annually to burn through this summer, and yet, it’s most notable acquisition was that of C.J. Miles. He certainly adds depth to the perimeter attack, but he’s hardly the game-changer Kyrie Irving needed as his sidekick. The same goes for Dion Waiters, who is severely overrated and a draft-day reach to say least.
You know what, though? Maybe Zeller could prove to be that prolific partner Irving craves, that second star the Cavaliers need. Or maybe not.
Either way, it’s going to take time for Zeller to develop, for him to reach his full-potential or be pegged as an all-out bust. So, for now, even if it involves him coming off the bench, Varejao is more valuable to the Cavaliers as a contributor than a trade piece.
And yes, I understand he’s an injury risk—he’s only played in 75-plus games three times during his career—but he’s one worth putting up with for a team like this. He’s hardly a top-tier center, but he’s the closest thing to guaranteed production outside of Irving Cleveland has. And it just can’t give that up.
Not now, anyway. Not until the Cavaliers prover their willing to be aggressive in their pursuit of a star-caliber free agents.
Because, the fact of the matter is, Varejao will be just as easy to trade next summer as he is now. So, for a tepidly constructed Cleveland team, there’s no use rushing his potential departure.
Not until the organization proves it can surround Irving with better talent than they already have.
Dan Favale is an firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His musings can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com. Follow @danfavale on Twitter for his latest posts and all things NBA.
