After a season of misdirection and teasing of an NBA return, Larry Sanders is back…sorta.
It was reported by ‘The Vertical’ earlier, that former Milwaukee Bucks Center Larry Sanders has signed a deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers .
Sources: Larry Sanders completes NBA comeback, agrees to deal with Cavs. @ShamsCharania report on @TheVertical. https://t.co/9m4EVu6ANd pic.twitter.com/uZAotGiCii — The Vertical (@TheVertical) March 13, 2017
The plan for @l8show_thegoat in Cleveland is to practice w/Cavs & play for Canton D-League team for most of the rest of the regular season. — David Aldridge (@daldridgetnt) March 13, 2017
This is another attempt by the Cavaliers to make small steps towards bolstering their roster before the playoffs. Currently sitting at 1st in the east, the Cavaliers are having to fend off other teams to secure home court. With the Wizards and Celtics just two games back and streaking, the Cavs will need all the help they can get.
They thought they had that help when they signed veterans Deron Williams and Andrew Bogut. Although just 56 seconds into his debut, Bogut broke his Tibia in an on-court collision. Bogut has had a history injuries over the past years he has been in the league. Sanders has not played in the league since December 23, 2014.
Sanders the Person:
For Sanders, empathy is needed when looking at his situation. The stress and pressure of being a high paid athlete is immense and often ignored.
Consequently Sanders was the subject of a mixture of anger and understanding from media members and fans alike. Sanders has spent the past few years living in relative obscurity. Occasionally sending out tweets and posts to rile-up fans who theorize what his return might do for their team. With the potential of Sanders returning to the biggest stage, we must wonder if he will be able to handle the pressure.
Looks like Ima need my goggles back ? — Larry Sanders (@l8show_thegoat) March 10, 2017
Any team that is a favorite to make it to finals will have a tremendous amount of pressure. Now put LeBron James on that team and add double or triple the pressure. While Sanders is signed to the Cavs he’ll be playing with their D-League affiliate through the regular season. This may make his transition easier as he attempts to go back to the NBA. Even if Sanders is mentally ready to play the question remains can he still ball?

Sand(er)s of time:
At 28, this may be Sanders last shot at an NBA career. If he can get himself in to shape, he will have a golden opportunity. He will have the opportunity to be on one of the few teams to win back to back titles. The same goes for the Cavs. With Sanders, the Cavs could add another aspect to their game. With J.R Smith and Kevin Love coming back and the possibility of Sanders, could allow the Cavs to play a Rockets style of basketball. With Sanders versatility, we could see the Cavs offense and defense be able to cope with LeBron on the bench. Sanders return to basketball hopefully means a more entertaining postseason and with any luck, Sanders could play meaningful minutes for a championship team.
Best of luck @l8show_thegoat Will be watching. — Andrew Bogut (@andrewbogut) March 13, 2017