Should Clippers try to sign Larry Sanders when he returns?
By Tom West
Former Milwaukee Bucks center Larry Sanders said this week he would like to make an NBA comeback, and the Los Angeles Clippers should consider signing him when he’s ready to return.
This thought isn’t entirely out of the blue, even though it may not sound like something that will take the Los Angeles Clippers past their seemingly impending doom to fail in the second round. And that’s true, it won’t. But it will help. Maybe signing Larry Sanders, or at least attempting to when he’s ready to return, is something the Clippers need to consider.
The former Milwaukee Bucks big man had his breakout season in 2012-13 when he became a borderline Defensive Player of the Year candidate with his quick defense and authoritative shot blocking. In only 27.3 minutes per game, he averaged 9.8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.8 blocks. Convert that to his production per 36 minutes, and he was a double-double machine with 12.9 points, 12.5 rebounds and an exceptional 3.7 rejections to emphasize his presence in the paint.
In short, he was a highly talented and productive defender. He had agility, length, awareness and could deter most opponents from finishing at the basket when switched on. He was a player that most teams around the NBA would love to have in their rotation, but his career took a turn for the worse the following season.
From 2013 onwards, Sanders got in multiple problems off the court. He was involved in a bar fight, suspended twice for violating the NBA’s anti-drug program and went on to take a personal leave of absence to try to get his head in the right place. Then, in February of 2015, Sanders’ time with the Bucks was ended with the buyout of his contract.
However, since then, he’s started getting things together and finding some peace away from the game. He has a management company for artists, designers and photographers in L.A. (giving him an ideal chance to go have a chat with the Clippers, perhaps?) which has given him a new focus, a new drive. Stepping away from the pressure and media attention of the NBA seems to have worked for Sanders, and we have more proof of that now.
Shams Charania of Yahoo! Sports has reported that sooner rather than later, Sanders wants to make his return to the league:
"“Once my art, music and passions off the court feel stable, I will look into coming back,” Sanders told The Vertical. “I still love basketball. I want stability around me, and part of my mindset to leave was not to put all my eggs in one basket.“I feel highly valuable on any team. There aren’t a lot of people who can bring my game to a team. I still play basketball all the time, staying in shape. I will need to make sure the situation is right for me.” …People close to Sanders have discussed his seriousness to return to the NBA sooner rather than later. Nevertheless, Sanders would need to continue cleansing his lifestyle and show teams a renewed focus on the game. For now, Sanders says there is no timetable toward a return."
There’s no way to quantify “sooner rather than later”. With the defensive talent he showed before things took a turn for the worse, there’s no doubt that some teams will be interested in acquiring a guy like Sanders. Plus, after the troubles he’s faced and his time away from the game, he won’t be coming in on an expensive contract, which makes him less of a risk with the raising salary cap.
For a team like the Clippers, who lack frontcourt depth and the money to make notable adjustments, this is ideal.
Would he want to return to the NBA before the playoffs begin this season, though? It partly comes down to whether he’d be joining a team who will actually appear in the postseason. Even if he joins a playoff team, it’s unlikely he’ll be trusted with many minutes. If he joins someone at the bottom of the rankings, why rush to make a comeback now rather than later in the year?
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With the comments he made to Yahoo!, it’s hard to think that “sooner rather than later” is realistically any earlier than the 2016-17 season.
He may want another six, seven, or eight months, or even longer, before making such a big commitment by returning. In which case, the Clippers’ situation for the 2016-17 season will be totally different. They could make some changes in the offseason, especially if they suffer another second round exit in the playoffs.
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Yet, as someone who won’t actually be searching for a max contract for the new season (should he return, of course), Sanders is a player who at least needs to be on the Clippers’ radar. Offensive limitations and his lengthy absence aside, he could make the kind of impact in the paint that is desperately needed beside Cole Aldrich. While NBA-level conditioning and form will need work to reclaim, talent doesn’t just disappear within a year.
One real big man off the bench in Aldrich isn’t enough, no matter what the Clippers’ recent record may suggest.
As L.A. rank 27th in rebounding rate and their interior defense falls off when DeAndre Jordan isn’t on the floor, it’s safe to say Sanders fills a need if he gradually returns in similar fashion to the player who left Milwaukee last year. Not to mention the fact that returning to an elite team where he can be eased in with a small role should be the kind of situation he’d look for.
He has the kind of defensive presence and energy the Clippers could really benefit from, but he wouldn’t come back without question marks. He’ll come back with something to prove, though, and for a low price, he’s worth the risk. He’s worth taking a chance on for a team who need some help.
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Will it be soon? There’s no way to be sure, although it seems very unlikely. Yet, as the Clippers go forward as a team in a tough financial station in need of another big man, Larry Sanders is someone they should at least keep an eye on.
Maybe further down the line, there’s a chance Sanders could leave his management company to pursue another career in L.A. One that he’s familiar with, and one where he could still find success.