Let this be a reminder: If you are 6'11" with impressive athleticism, you are going to get second (and third, and fourth, and...) chances in the NBA.
Larry Sanders has been out of the NBA for a couple of seasons after a mutual parting of the ways with the Bucks, a buyout of his contract that let him get away from basketball. He had personal demons to deal with and checked himself into a hospital program for anxiety, depression, and mood disorders.
He’s said now he wants to make a comeback, and the Cavaliers are going to at least take a look, reports Chris Haynes of ESPN.
Cleveland believed to have workout set with free agent Larry Sanders today, sources tell ESPN. Sanders hasn't played since 2014-15 season.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) February 22, 2017
Cleveland's workout of Larry Sanders today is a solo setting centered on testing and evaluation physically, league sources tell ESPN.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) February 22, 2017
A solo workout implies this is not going to lead to him being signed soon, it’s just more of a progress check. Sanders reportedly has looked in some previous settings like a guy who has been out of the league for a couple of years.
Sanders averaged 9.8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.8 blocks a game, which led to him getting a big extension with the Bucks (and that’s the Sanders teams hope to see in workouts). Sanders wrote later he struggled with the pressure and how to cope with it after signing that deal, which led to things such as a nightclub brawl left him with an injured thumb in need of surgery, being charged with animal cruelty, and being suspended a couple of times by the league for marijuana use.
Hopefully, Sanders has found the balance he sought in his life. He’s trying to turn that into a return to the NBA.