Anderson Varejão

[F-Dog]

Varejão hasn't received an offer yet, mainly because he's a restricted free agent. The Cavaliers look to be right at the tax line if they re-sign Sasha Pavlovic (an important contributor last season), so ironically, it might be more expensive for the Cavaliers to match and retain Varejão than it would be for the Suns to sign him--in addition to paying luxury tax on his salary, they might also be foregoing their share of the luxtax outlay.

If there's anybody on the market who can give the Suns more than KT did, it's Varejão. He's young, very smart, and physical; he's the biggest flopper in the league, and he's one of the dirtiest players as well. Also, he's shown in international play that he can be effective from the high post.


If the Suns are waiting for the market to shake out anyway (and they'd like to prove they're not cheap), why not offer Varejão a one-year deal? If Cleveland matches, the Suns get a PR boost without spending a dime, and Varejão gets more than the qualifying offer, while still becoming an UFA next season.

And if the Cavs don't match...well, at least the Suns are looking good from a personnel standpoint, right?

 

[azirish]

Varejão is a good player but likely to be too expense considering he's not a good fit for the Suns style. He has very limited offensive skills.

 

[F-Dog]

Varejão seems quite competent (offensively) in international play. At times, the Brazilians run their offense through him in the high post.

I don't think he's any worse than Joakim Noah, who would have been the Suns' preferred KT replacement.

 

[azirish]

Varejão seems quite competent (offensively) in international play. At times, the Brazilians run their offense through him in the high post.

I don't think he's any worse than Joakim Noah, who would have been the Suns' preferred KT replacement.

Yes, but Noah was going to have a rookie contract and there is no way you get Varejão for that price.

Actually, Noah's big advantage is in the open court because he is a very good ball handler for his size. The irony is that he's going to a team in the Bulls that will not be a very good fit for his skills.

 

[F-Dog]

One year, $4m would be enough to put Cleveland to the test, I think.

The Cavs might lose as much as $10m by matching, and they wouldn't get any long-term benefit from it.

 

[scXfreakX]

It would be nice to have Varejao, but I think he would be too expensive. Plus, his team just went to the Finals so he probably thinks it'd be smarter for him to stay there.

 

[F-Dog]

The Cavs aren't offering Varejão anything beyond the RFA tender. If he wants more, he'll have to get another team to offer him a deal.

I don't doubt the Cavs would match a long-term contract starting at $4m/yr, but a one-year contract is poisonous. They aren't "real" contenders next season and they understand that.

 

[azirish]

It would be nice to have Varejao, but I think he would be too expensive. Plus, his team just went to the Finals so he probably thinks it'd be smarter for him to stay there.

Welcome aboard.

I think he can get more than $4 million if somebody is willing to risk the Cavs just matching. So far, everybody seems convinced the Cavs will match.

Memphis was the only team in a position to make a killer offer and they went for Darko instead.

 

[scXfreakX]

Thanks!

I think he will get some solid cash, and probably won't sign till the latter of the offseason. It just seems that way.

 

[PoolBoy]

anderson can not shoot. way too expensive for what he is.

 

[Divide Et Impera]

I may be in the minority here, but Anderson would be GREAT here. We need an energy big guy who can crash the glass and draw fouls and get easy putbacks on O. We don't need Brad Miller as much as we need Ben Wallace and Varejao would be more likely comparable to the latter of those 2....

 

[scXfreakX]

The Cavs aren't offering Varejão anything beyond the RFA tender. If he wants more, he'll have to get another team to offer him a deal.

I don't doubt the Cavs would match a long-term contract starting at $4m/yr, but a one-year contract is poisonous. They aren't "real" contenders next season and they understand that.

I understand that. I don't think they were ever serious contenders. But I do admit they played well against Detroit overall. And they lucked out playing Washington first round.

 

[elindholm]

Varejao's agent won't accept a one-year offer from a new team -- his new team wouldn't even have his Bird rights next summer. At the very least, someone will offer the MLE for several years. It just may not happen right away.

 

[F-Dog]

http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/cavs/

On the Anderson Varejao front, one league executive told me yesterday: “This is going to be one to watch.” He meant for entertainment value, in a sick, detatched way. Andy’s agent, Dan Fegan, is looking for the big score. I’m talking about something like $9-$10 million a year. I believe the Cavs are offering something much closer to $6 million a year. You don’t have to be a math major to know that is a wide gap. The Cavs will not pay it and, because Varejao is restricted and no teams who want Varejao have cap space left, they will not have to pay it. They do not have to do a sign-and-trade for it if they don’t feel like it, either. Here’s the thing, though, Fegan does not like to compromise. He may rather have Andy play out a one-year qualifying offer and become unrestricted next summer.

Now, this doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me. First off, because’s a second round pick, his qualifying offer is only $1.3 million. Sasha Pavlovic’s, for example, is around $4 million. That means Andy potentially would be leaving $5 million on the table just this season alone. This is a guy who has made just $2.6 million over the last three years combined. He may never make up that money. Second, next summer the free agent market is deeper and there are no teams that will have a bunch of money. So if he leaves the Cavs, it very likely would be just for the mid-level exception, which will be around $5.5 million next year. Does that make sense? No, but it does make a point, which is what Fegan might want to do.

Here’s something you need to keep in mind that no one is talking about. Andy really, really wants to play for Brazil in next month’s FIBA Americas Tournament. He loves playing for the national team and the Brazilians are fighting for one of the two spots in the Olympics next year. With the Americans and Argentines there, they need their best players. Andy can’t risk playing without a contract, remember he blew out his shoulder playing for the national team two years ago. I have not spoken to Andy since the season ended, so maybe his feelings have changed. But he’s always expressed to me how he wants to make the basketball team as popular as a the national soccer team, when the whole country shuts down to watch. That is probably unrealistic, but Andy always sounded passionate about it. Anyway, that means the contract has to get done in the next few weeks if he wants to play. We’ll see…

 

[scXfreakX]

Right, I think it will definitely be a bit until Varejao is signed.

 

[elindholm]

In other words:

1. Cleveland is willing to pay more than anyone else.
2. Varejao's agent wants even more than that.
3. He won't get it and has no viable options.
4. He'll posture a while longer, then take Cleveland's offer.

 

[F-Dog]

In other words:

1. Cleveland is willing to pay more than anyone else.
2. Varejao's agent wants even more than that.
3. He won't get it and has no viable options.
4. He'll posture a while longer, then take Cleveland's offer.

Fegan is Stephen Jackson's agent.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5482425/

Also Yi JianLian's.

 

[Gaddabout]

Fegan is also Marion's agent.

 

[cly2tw]

Fegan is also Marion's agent.

 

[YouJustGotSUNSD]

Cleveland is still looking for a point guard

S&T of Varejo for 125% of Banks contract

Cleveland gains their PG, we sign a young, high energy rebounder for roughly the same as if we kept banks and added a vet min player

Lebron gets a PG that he can trust to hit the open jumper when dishes off to after getting triple teamed. Its a step up from gibson.

for the win

 

[azirish]

Cleveland is still looking for a point guard

S&T of Varejo for 125% of Banks contract

Cleveland gains their PG, we sign a young, high energy rebounder for roughly the same as if we kept banks and added a vet min player

Lebron gets a PG that he can trust to hit the open jumper when dishes off to after getting triple teamed. Its a step up from gibson.

for the win

It is not clear that Banks IS a point guard, but the concept is not completely out of line. Gibson would have played more if he could defend. Still, the problem is that it will not be until well into the season for people to believe Banks is not a one game wonder.

 

[YouJustGotSUNSD]

For the cavs all he would have to do is dribble the ball up and pass it to lebron, perfect his 3 point shot, and defend the perimeter.

Banks can dribble, banks can shoot, banks can defend. Banks is not a fast break type point guard, but he can play the point on a team like cleveland easily imo.

 

[Errntknght]

In a perfect world Cleveland would go for that... and we'd all live happily ever after.

 

[YouJustGotSUNSD]

We can throw in our first round draft picks for the 2010 decade.

 

[dodie53]

i think varejao is a good fit in phoenix..

he can run the floor, defend and rebound..

and he will feel at home because of LB