Anderson Varejão may not have been a big name to think about at the National Basketball Association (NBA) trade deadline, but the story seems to be different now as the NBA shifts to signing up waived NBA players.
Varejão was let go by the Cleveland Cavaliers along with a first round draft pick to the Portland Trail Blazers for a future second-round pick before the NBA trade deadline. However, the Blazers waived the 33-year-old Brazilian and now, multiple teams are scampering to sign up the big man.
The Trail Blazers have placed F Anderson Varejao on waivers.
— Trail Blazers PR (@TrailBlazersPR) February 18, 2016 " data-caption="null" data-credit="null">Among the teams who are reportedly interested in signing Varejão include the Golden State Warriors, the San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Clippers, Atlanta Hawks, and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Of the mix, Varejão expressed interest in joining either the Warriors or the Spurs.
It will be a down-to-the-wire finish between the Warriors and the Spurs to snag Varejão. The Warriors are a curious case because they have a full roster. The only way they can sign up the Brazilian is if they release one of their existing players.
According to the Tim Kawakami of Mercury News (via Twitter), a likely casualty is Jason Thompson whom the team acquired in a deal earlier this season with the Philadelphia 76ers which involved Gerald Wallace.
If it's just a basketball decision, which it might be, the Warriors would cut Jason Thompson to open a roster spot.
— Tim Kawakami (@timkawakami) February 21, 2016 " data-caption="null" data-credit="null">If the series of events do materialize, it would be a Brazilian reunion for Varejão who would reunite with Leandro Barbosa. However, such is not yet a certainty, with the Spurs making a serious case to snag Varejão from the Warriors' grasp.
The interest from the Spurs does come a bit of a surprise, considering they already have a loaded frontline featuring Tim Duncan, LaMarcus Aldridge, and David West. If Varejão is signed, he could end up with limited minutes.
With the Warriors, he could be utilized better as he fills in the void left by injured players like Andrew Bogut and Festus Ezeli.
Check out the video below of how a child reacted when his favorite player (Varejão) was traded.
