Anderson

Varejao

Hartenstein will sit for a third straight game, which means rotation minutes for Anderson Varejao in his Cavaliers swan song. We’ll have an update on Hartenstein once he clears concussion protocol, but it’s possible that he may have played his last basketball of the season.

Maybe Anderson Varejao will pick up some extra minutes tonight, which means absolutely nothing.

The 38-year-old Varejao had not appeared in an NBA game since 2017 so it was kind of cool to see him out there tonight, although we’re still not really sure why it’s happening. Kevin Love had 18 points, eight boards and three 3-pointers and Dean Wade added 16 points, five boards and three 3-pointers off the bench tonight.

Varejao hasn’t played in the NBA in over four years, but he’s going through shootarounds and could earn a handful of minutes in the Cavs’ final seven games. Wednesday’s contest is in Cleveland, too, so he should get at least a cameo for the roughly 4,000 fans in attendance.

The man affectionately known as ‘Wild Thing’ said his last professional game was with Brazil in the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup. The Cavs opened a roster spot via hardship exception just to sign Varejao, both as a symbol of his stature with the franchise and as a veteran-mentor presence off the court. “Andy embodies all that the city of Cleveland stands for and beyond,” said GM Koby Altman. “We couldn’t be more excited to bring his experience, leadership and character back into this locker room.”

Nance played in just 35 games this season and averaged 9.3 points and 6.7 rebounds, meaning if you took him on draft night it was probably a waste of a pick. He has talent and still has a chance at breaking out next season but he’ll have to have a bigger role (and stay healthy) if it’s going to happen.

Varejao spent 12 seasons with the Cavaliers and is adored by the franchise. He’ll provide some relief behind Jarrett Allen with Isaiah Hartenstein dealing with a concussion, but it’s being described as “a celebratory 10-day contract that allows him to play his final NBA games in a Cavaliers jersey.”

He’s day-to-day for now, though it looks like he could miss a few.

The energetic rebounder should be back in action shortly.

He managed to participate in yesterday’s shootaround without a brace, so perhaps the timetable will speed up.