Anderson Varejao spent nearly his entire NBA career with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Now that he is on the comeback trail, the 36-year-old from Santa Teresa, Brazil told Joe Vardon of The Athletic that he could envision a reunion with his former team:
“I was back in Brazil and I was having fun there, but during the offseason I’m always back in Cleveland,” he corrected me on Saturday, after his Brazilian national team was clobbered by the Czech Republic at the FIBA World Cup.
Something else I assumed about Varejao: his NBA career is over after 13 seasons, mostly with the Cavs and then parts of two years with the Warriors.
We’ll see on that, but Varejao, 36, said his contract is up and he’s wondering what’s next.
“I am focused on the World Cup, and trying to do my best with Brazil, and trying to help Brazil accomplish something big, but it wouldn’t be bad to come back to Cleveland,” Varejao said, smiling.
Varejao was selected by the Cavs in the 2004 NBA Draft and would eventually become a staple in Cleveland. Though he was rarely a starter in his first few seasons with the Cavs, Varejao provided rebounding and toughness off the bench.
When he became Cleveland’s starter after the departure of LeBron James, Varejao suffered from myriad injuries in his last five seasons with the Cavs. He was waived in 2016 and eventually joined the Golden State Warriors, squaring off against his old team in the 2016 NBA Finals.
Varejao has not played in the NBA since 2017, but he is hoping that a strong showing for Brazil in the FIBA World Cup could land him a spot on an NBA roster. While there’s no indication the Cavs have any interest, stay tuned to see if Andy V bets back in the league.