After failing two drug tests, taking a personal leave of absence and agreeing to a contract buyout the last time we saw him, former Milwaukee Bucks center Larry Sanders is eyeing a return to the NBA soon, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical:
“Once my art, music and passions off the court feel stable, I will look into coming back,” Sanders told The Vertical. “I still love basketball. I want stability around me, and part of my mindset to leave was not to put all my eggs in one basket.
I feel highly valuable on any team. There aren’t a lot of people who can bring my game to a team. I still play basketball all the time, staying in shape. I will need to make sure the situation is right for me.”
There was a lot of controversy surrounding the Sanders-Bucks divorce. With multiple off-court incidents and a leave of absence, a lot of people — including myself — thought Sanders was a guy who just didn’t get it. The common question:
“You’re a professional basketball player! You just signed a four-year, $44 million extension! How do you keep getting busted for weed!?”
I always liked Sanders the player, but my entire view of Sanders the person changed once he explained himself via The Players’ Tribune:
It turned out that Sanders checked himself into a hospital during his leave of absence to help deal with anxiety and depression. As sad as it sounds in hindsight, that revelation really put things in perspective for me on him and athletes in general; these guys are still human beings with problems of their own. All of the money in the world doesn’t make them any less humans than fans, writers or analysts.
Sanders seems to be in a much better place mentally and emotionally. He’s spent plenty of time with his family, expanded himself with his art and dabbles in music. Heck, he just dropped something earlier this week.
Sanders is a complex individual, and that should be noted and understood, even if you don’t agree with how he’s handled himself over the last three years. If he’s happy and stable, making a return to the NBA should be a non-issue.
And that begs the question — where does he fit? In today’s NBA, Sanders fits virtually everywhere. Rim-rolling, board-grabbing, rim-protecting bigs are very valuable. Considering Sanders’s layoff, he could be had for a relatively low price once he returns, making him a prime “moderate risk, high reward” signing. There are five teams off the top of my head that should be calling Sanders now or in the summer.
1. Boston Celtics
WHEN: Right now
WHY: The Celtics are missing a bona fide superstar, but they’re currently doing just fine led by an elite coach in Brad Stevens and a legitimate All-Star in Isaiah Thomas. The Celtics’ roster is filled with quality players, but one thing they’re missing is an elite rebounder and rim protector to man the 5. The last time we saw Sanders, he averaged 6.6 boards and 1.4 blocks in 21.7 minutes per game — 10.2 boards and 2.4 blocks per 36 minutes.
Sanders would fit right in as a defensive anchor in the middle with defensive stalwarts Avery Bradley and Jae Crowder wrecking havoc on the perimeter. Adding Sanders to an already elite defense while also helping Boston on the glass would only make them a larger threat on the cheap, as opposed to trying swing a deal for a guy like Dwight Howard.
2. Washington Wizards
WHEN: Right now
WHY: Marcin Gortat desperately needs a reliable backup behind him. The Wizards could use Sanders’s rim protection off the bench, especially when they go small. It’s really that simple; they need some real help if they want to make a playoff push after the All-Star break.
3. Miami Heat
WHEN: This Summer
WHY: Hassan Whiteside, Amar’e Stoudemire and Chris Andersen all hit the free-agent market in July, but the only guy who significantly matters here is Whiteside. Even with his mental lapses, Whiteside is expected to command max or near-max dollars. Should the Heat decide to let Whiteside walk, Sanders could serve as a solid replacement as either a starter alongside Chris Bosh, or as a high-minute sixth man in the event that Miami can add some floor spacers and start Bosh at center again.
4. Golden State Warriors
WHEN: This Summer
WHY: They want Kevin Durant. If they’re serious about Durant, not only will they need to let Harrison Barnes go, but they’ll also have to make some tough decisions concerning Festus Ezeli and Andrew Bogut.
Ezeli will be a restricted free agent this summer and is expected to command a salary worth at least $10 million per year. Bogut is already making north of $12 million a year. If push comes to shove, the Warriors would likely try to flip Bogut somewhere to open up cap room so they could add Durant and retain the younger Ezeli. In that case, Sanders would make plenty of sense as either a starter or a backup.
5. Los Angeles Lakers
WHEN: This Summer
WHY: Well, who the heck else is going to play center?
In all seriousness, the Lakers are in major need of a rim protector. Roy Hibbert has tried his best, but it hasn’t really worked out due to virtually everyone in the rotation needing to be covered for, and Hibbert showing some slippage himself. The Lakers will probably be in the hunt for Whiteside, but with plenty of cap space and not a lot of defense, they could probably afford — figuratively and literally — to add both Whiteside and Sanders.