Should we make a play for Varejeo?

[rainmaker]

Someone who I think would fit very well next to Cousins going forward, and rumors are he might be made available leading up to the deadline, is Anderson Varejao. Not sure what we would have to give up to get him though. Cle is obviously about to blow up their roster and rebuild, so cap space and draft picks might work, along with a cheaper replacement at the pf, which we have.
Like Brick mentioned in another thread, the more this team wins in the 2nd half, the less valuable our pick is. If we were to pick top 3 or 4, I'm not sure I would want to trade it for Varejao. But if this team continues it sudden turn around, our pick might fall to 7-12, in which case it's more valuable now.
So one idea I had, is giving up our upcoming pick(given our recent play it could easily drop out of the top 5), and JT or Landry(one or the other), for Varejao. It's somewhat risky, but I agree with Brick that our 1st round pick is potentially more valuable now than it will be 3 months from now.
A Cousins/Varejao frontline, with possibly a resigned Dally, would one hell of a scrappy/physical frontline.

 

[cuad]

Our front court is fine.

This is Varejao's contract (ty shamsports). I'd much rather have Dalembert for this kind of money, Jason Thompson on his rookie contract and a first round pick.

Plus, there's no telling what Varejao is going to be like when he comes back from his exploded ankle.

 

[Spike]

Our front court is fine.

This is Varejao's contract (ty shamsports). I'd much rather have Dalembert for this kind of money, Jason Thompson on his rookie contract and a first round pick.

Plus, there's no telling what Varejao is going to be like when he comes back from his exploded ankle.

^ I agree with this assessment.

 

[Big Cuz 15]

Our front court is fine.

agreed. i hope we trade landry and start developing whiteside the 2nd half of the offseason. there is no point in trying to win a few more games and sneak into the 8th seed lmao. we'd benefit more with throwing him in the fire and seeing what he can do in real gametime experience. this is most likely our last opportunity at a high pick so we might as well make the most out of it.

cousins/Daly/JT at the center position
JT/Whiteside/Daly at the PF position

 

[rainmaker]

agreed. i hope we trade landry and start developing whiteside the 2nd half of the offseason. there is no point in trying to win a few more games and sneak into the 8th seed lmao. we'd benefit more with throwing him in the fire and seeing what he can do in real gametime experience. this is most likely our last opportunity at a high pick so we might as well make the most out of it.

cousins/Daly/JT at the center position
JT/Whiteside/Daly at the PF position

And how exactly would going after Varejeo have any connection to going after the 8th seed?

LMAO????

Varejeo is out for the year.

 

[Big Cuz 15]

And how exactly would going after Varejeo have any connection to going after the 8th seed?

LMAO????

Varejeo is out for the year.

thats why i said LMAO.

why would you trade for an injured player anyway. can you see in the future that he will be the same player before the injury?

 

[rainmaker]

thats why i said LMAO.

why would you trade for an injured player anyway. can you see in the future that he will be the same player before the injury?

Then give me your list of nba players who haven't been the same, and haven't recovered, from a torn tendon in their foot. I'm very familiar with the injury, and the prospect of a full recovery. Since you're sitting there laughing about it, and apparently have knowledge of how this injury will change his career going forward, pleace enlighten me of one time this injury has caused a player to not recover fully, at age 28.

 

[Big Cuz 15]

Then give me your list of nba players who haven't been the same, and haven't recovered, from a torn tendon in their foot. I'm very familiar with the injury, and the prospect of a full recovery. Since you're sitting there laughing about it, and apparently have knowledge of how this injury will change his career going forward, pleace enlighten me of one time this injury has caused a player to not recover fully, at age 28.

whoa, sticking words in my mouth. i never said i have knowledge about the injury. lol thanks

why would you trade for an injured player that cannot play this season? it would not help our situation currently. varejao will not be able to gel with our current squad. the draft pick could be a top 5 pick that we traded for imo, a role player. we won 2 games in a row yippee.. doesn't guarantee how we may play out the rest of the season. i could imagine possibly dumping cisco's contract over to them. i just don't see the value in this trade. with all this said, i don't know many GMs that would trade a lotto pick for a injured player.

 

[bajaden]

A lot of if's involved here. If we continue to win games then our pick will be lower in the round and therefore less valuable. True, but the big if is whether we'll continue to win, or will we return to our losing ways. Here's a what if. What if we end up picking sixth, and we trade the pick, and the team we trade it to gets lucky and ends up with the first pick? What if he does recover from the injury, but just isn't quite the player he was before? The only thing he brings is a little better defense in the post than Thompson. Stat wise, they're almost equal when it comes to points scored and rebounds per. And he's due big money for three more years after this one.

To be honest I don't see the need for a huge upgrade at the PF position. Thompson is actually the perfect type of player next to Cousins. Maybe not quite as proficient as Varejao, but then he makes a hell of a lot less money.

Let me put it this way. If we were to trade the pick and lets say Landry. And we would have ended up with a chance to get Derrick Williams in the draft with that pick, or even Sullinger, I would be one pissed individual. I think we should stay pat and see how things play out by the end of the year, and who we end up with in the draft. We then have all the available facts, and can make an as educated decision as possible on what the team needs are. You can trade for Varejao then, just as easily as you can now. If you still want to.

 

[ParniValjak]

A lot of if's involved here. If we continue to win games then our pick will be lower in the round and therefore less valuable. True, but the big if is whether we'll continue to win, or will we return to our losing ways. Here's a what if. What if we end up picking sixth, and we trade the pick, and the team we trade it to gets lucky and ends up with the first pick? What if he does recover from the injury, but just isn't quite the player he was before? The only thing he brings is a little better defense in the post than Thompson. Stat wise, they're almost equal when it comes to points scored and rebounds per. And he's due big money for three more years after this one.

To be honest I don't see the need for a huge upgrade at the PF position. Thompson is actually the perfect type of player next to Cousins. Maybe not quite as proficient as Varejao, but then he makes a hell of a lot less money.

Let me put it this way. If we were to trade the pick and lets say Landry. And we would have ended up with a chance to get Derrick Williams in the draft with that pick, or even Sullinger, I would be one pissed individual. I think we should stay pat and see how things play out by the end of the year, and who we end up with in the draft. We then have all the available facts, and can make an as educated decision as possible on what the team needs are. You can trade for Varejao then, just as easily as you can now. If you still want to.

Thompson is not a bad player to have next to Cousins but I wouldn't agree that he is a perfect fit because you need a genuine shot blocker next to Cousins, something JT is just not.

 

[Bricklayer]

JT has a few months, or actually given the trade deadline maybe only just the one, to prove that he can CONSISTENTLY be the starting guy out there next to Cousins. He's the right general style of player -- you want that guy to be big, to be big enough to take the tougher defensive matchup in the frontcourt, to rebound, to play a role -- but then again so is Varejao. But Jason clearly isn't consistent enough, nor dependable enough to have made any sort of real claim on the spot, and he's getting to the point now when you can't wait on that too much longer. He's got to show that he can bring it every night. That he can keep his head, every night. That he can make a layup and show touch every night. And most critically of all, he has to beomce an impact defender. If he doesn't its hard to imagine a team with as many resources as we are going to have this summer not going out shopping for a replacement. Might still be able to be a backup to that replacement, but I think these next few months are kind of Jason's final big audition for that starting spot. We've got two young stars. We need those other spots to be dependable rocks, parts of the machine filling in key roles. Beno may not be perfect, but he's kind of made that claim as the "other guard" for the moment. None of our forwards has done the same, and time is running out for them now to do so.

 

[LWP777]

Another quality post from the OP (NOT). He wants a backup C/PF who is out for the year and has $43M left on his contract. Enough said.

 

[Bricklayer]

Another quality post from the OP (NOT). He wants a backup C/PF who is out for the year and has $43M left on his contract. Enough said.

Alternately he wants a 10 and 10 guy who has been a noted defender and part time starter on several 60win teams.

And that sort of player, any sort of high quality guy there is going to cost us the $40 mil, so that;s not even a concern really. All that matters is fit.

 

[RookieOfTheDay]

I don't think The Kings would take on his contract and still resign Dalembert. Varejeo in would probably mean Sammy out and I think I'd rather have Sammy between the two.

 

[MassachusettsKingsFan]

I'll tell you this, I like Varejao over JT and Landry for sure, and its very close between him and Dally. A month ago I would have said Varejao over Dalembert too, but Sammy has really come on as of late now that he is playing with Cousins more.

I want Thompson to be the guy. I love his attitude and personality. Great guy to have on your team, but he isnt improving anymore. Still has super shaky hands, still puts the ball on the floor close to the basket instead of going right up. Still takes the silly fouls... super super inconsistent. His rebounding is good, but I wouldnt say its better than Varejaos .. His defense has gotten decent, but still not at Varejao level.

Im not sure I would trade for him though. At least not until we see what the new CBA is going to look like. I mean, if we can keep Landry AND Dalembert for the current price of Varejao ( pipe dream, but you never know ) then you dont trade for him. Plus he is hurt. I'm in no rush to go after him now, but I have my eyes on him as a potential piece to this puzzle.

 

[ParniValjak]

Alternately he wants a 10 and 10 guy who has been a noted defender and part time starter on several 60win teams.

And that sort of player, any sort of high quality guy there is going to cost us the $40 mil, so that;s not even a concern really. All that matters is fit.

If he were a genuine shot blocker I would pay it in a heartbeat.

 

[TTown Kings]

not a fan, I'll pass.

 

[Nighthawk1]

I think it really depends on what the CBA looks like. That could potentially be a lot more money then it looks like right now. Especially with our glutton of big men currently on the roster I don't see the need to rush into acquiring Varejeo when we have the ability to wait out the rest of the season to see how any of our young big's progress.

 

[LPKingsFan]

Well, the glutton is not going to be a problem if you bring in Varejao--you let Landry and Dalembert walk or sign&trade them.

I think Varejao, while not the shotblocker Dalembert is, might be a better fit long term at PF next to Cousins. We've seen some progress for a Dalembert/Cousins duo up front (and it took way too long for us to try it, IMO) but at the end of the day both are centers. I don't see why anyone would think going after Varejao is a legitimately bad idea, unless they have some knowledge about his injury which the rest of us do not.

 

[RookieOfTheDay]

Wait, I just realized that you were proposing the 1st round pick for Varejeo. In that case, I have to say...hell to the naw! Varejeo is a role player, not a game changer. No way I would trade a pick in the 5-10 range for a role player.

 

[Bricklayer]

Yeahm the pick is obviously a non starter for Anderson Varejao. But the Cavs may be interested in just offloading that contract for a bit of cheaper youth. Dubt anybody wuld mkae the offer until th offseason though given the injury status.

 

[bajaden]

I'll tell you this, I like Varejao over JT and Landry for sure, and its very close between him and Dally. A month ago I would have said Varejao over Dalembert too, but Sammy has really come on as of late now that he is playing with Cousins more.

I want Thompson to be the guy. I love his attitude and personality. Great guy to have on your team, but he isnt improving anymore. Still has super shaky hands, still puts the ball on the floor close to the basket instead of going right up. Still takes the silly fouls... super super inconsistent. His rebounding is good, but I wouldnt say its better than Varejaos .. His defense has gotten decent, but still not at Varejao level.

Im not sure I would trade for him though. At least not until we see what the new CBA is going to look like. I mean, if we can keep Landry AND Dalembert for the current price of Varejao ( pipe dream, but you never know ) then you dont trade for him. Plus he is hurt. I'm in no rush to go after him now, but I have my eyes on him as a potential piece to this puzzle.

I'm going to quibble a little bit here. Number one, Thompson has improved around the basket. Is he consistent yet? No. But he has improved. Right now he's a better defender away from the basket than Varejao is. He's much better at keep his man in front of him when confronted with a smaller quicker man than Varejao is, and there are stats to back that up. Under the basket, its a different story. JT has improved there, but Varejao is much better. JT will never be a shot blocker, but there aren't that many shotblocker around, so I don't use that as a measuring stick. Especially at the PF position. Please name for me all the great shotblocking PF's around the league.

However, if we assume that what you see is what you get with Thompson, then I would still like to keep him because of his versitality, but would make him a backup at both the center and PF positions. I wouldn't mind aquiring Varejao, but I'm not willing to give up the house for him. He's not a difference maker in the sense that he can go to a bad team and suddenly make them a good team. The current Cleveland team is proof of that. But as a role player on a goood team he has a lot of value. So in that sense, next to Cousins and Tyreke he would be a good fit. But not at that price. At least not to me

 

[Section 101]

Just say no to floppy Bob.