INDEPENDENCE: If the Cavaliers strike out before Thursday’s 3 p.m. trade deadline, they still have other alternatives to upgrade the roster. One of them visited Cleveland Clinic Courts on Wednesday.
The Cavs welcomed free-agent center Larry Sanders, who met with coach Tyronn Lue and various members of the Cavs staff. Sanders was one of the game’s most feared shot blockers at one time, before personal problems forced him out of the league two years ago.
Sanders played in just 50 games after signing a four-year, $44 million deal with the Milwaukee Bucks before the 2013-14 season. He was waived by the Bucks in February 2015 and has been treated for anxiety and depression. The league suspended him for five games for testing positive for marijuana, which he has said he used to treat his anxiety symptoms.
“He’s a good dude,” Lue said. “I know he has some negative things said about him, but just meeting him for the first time, just talking to him one on one, he’s a great guy. You never know, you never understand until you’re around that person and you’re able to talk to that person.
“With me, everybody I meet always has a clean slate. You have a clean slate until you do something wrong, so he was a great dude just talking to him.”
Sanders averaged 1.8 blocks during his five seasons in the league. His best season was 2012-13 when he averaged 9.8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.8 blocks.
Derrick Williams back
The Cavs are already in the midst of one reclamation project in Derrick Williams, who was signed to a second 10-day contract Wednesday. The Cavs have high hopes for Williams and have privately spoken as if he’ll be in their postseason rotation despite this being his fifth team in six years.
Sanders would serve as another project, but the team is low on bigs after Chris Andersen’s season-ending knee injury and Kevin Love’s arthroscopic surgery, which will likely keep him out until at least the middle of March.
Lue said the biggest question with Sanders is whether or not he still loves the game, something that can’t be determined with just one conversation.
“I just think it’s his mindset. I don’t think his talents went anywhere. Being able to block shots, run the floor, being athletic. I don’t think that’s going to change,” Lue said. “It’s just a mindset of, ‘Does he really want to play the game and does he still love it?’ If his mindset is right, he can definitely still play.”
Still negotiating
The Cavs are still negotiating with teams in advance of the trade deadline, but don’t appear close on any deals — although at this time of year, that could change quickly.
ESPN reported the Cavs and Houston Rockets have discussed a swap of Iman Shumpert and Patrick Beverley, which would fill the Cavs’ glaring need for a backup point guard. But it would also cost them their starting shooting guard.
Shumpert has rebounded from a dismal season last year to average 7.8 points and shoot 40 percent from 3-point range. He’s averaging 9.4 points and shooting 44 percent from deep since entering the starting lineup 12 games ago.
“I like our team. I love our team. I love what Shump’s done for us these last three years. For me, that’s not going to happen,” Lue said. “There’s rumors all the time. You wish you could trade and get all the people you say you can get, but it never happens. It’s just part of the talk.”
Return to practice
The Cavs returned to the practice floor Wednesday following the All-Star break, although LeBron James and Kyrie Irving were both excused since both played in Sunday’s game.
James got away for a couple of days after Sunday’s game and did not attend practice.
Irving arrived anyway and participated in a few drills.
He said he took teammate Jordan McRae and another member of the Cavs staff with him to Florida after Sunday’s game, so he had to be back Wednesday anyway because the others had to get back for practice.
“I wanted to be back. It was good to get up and down,” Irving said. “Sunday was good, but today was even better. Getting back in the gym, I wasn’t in every drill but I was definitely out there scrimmaging, trying to get a bucket or two.”
Jason Lloyd can be reached at jlloyd@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Cavs blog at www.ohio.com/cavs. Follow him on Twitter www.twitter.com/JasonLloydABJ.