Four years after his last stint in the NBA and five seasons since he last played for the Cavaliers, Anderson Varejao is returning to Cleveland on a 10-day contract.
“It’s home,” he said. “I love the city. I love the fans.”
The 37-year-old center last played in the NBA for the Golden State Warriors in 2017, starting only one game while averaging 1.3 points and 1.9 rebounds per game. His last professional basketball was played in 2019 during the World Cup in China, but Varejao has reportedly managed to stay in shape and will now have a chance to likely finish out his career with one final stint with the Cavs.
Varejao spent his first 11-and-a-half seasons in Cleveland, establishing himself as one of LeBron’s favorite teammates while proving himself to be a reliable option at center. His peak as a pro came during the 2012-13 season when he averaged 14 points and 14 rebounds per game while making over 75% of his free throws.
The 21-43 Cavs have already been eliminated from the playoffs and only have eight games left to play this season, but with several players going down due to injury, adding a veteran presence like Varejao could prove valuable. And honestly, there’s no real downside at this point.
