The Cleveland Cavaliers are very aware that they will miss Anderson Varejao and replacing him certainly will not be easy. 7-foot shooters are not easy to find as Varejao had the athleticism and versatility that made him stand out as a strong defender to a roster that desperately needs defenders. However, now Varejao is out for the season putting the Cavaliers' season and his future in jeopardy.
Varejao has officially been ruled out for the remainder of the season after suffering a torn Achilles tendon. He fell on the court during the win over the Minnesota Timberwolves and had to be helped off the court. The Cavaliers announced his injury while noting he would not return for the year, leaving a big hole on the court for the Cavaliers. In the short-term, the team has used both Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson to start in his place, but the team has yet to address the long-term fix to the injury. Varejao was averaging 9.8 points and 6.5 rebounds on the season while shooting 56 percent.
"It's a little tough talk about the impact of not having him, because this is the first game that we don't," head coach David Blatt said, via ESPN.com. "But I will say that obviously, we're going to miss Andy. He's a big part of our team as a player, as a personality. That's part of sport and part of basketball, certainly. You have to deal with injuries and with guys going down."
Varejao is now facing uncertainty in his future after this injury. The center signed a contract extension in the offseason that will give him $9.6 million in guaranteed money next season along with $10.4 million in 2016. According to Cleveland.com's Terry Pluto, that was done at the chance that the Cavaliers were forced to trade the center at some point. At 33, Varejao has suffered from numerous injuries over the past few years. The Cavaliers have Brendan Haywood who could be dealt as well. As of right now, the Cavaliers believe Varejao can return from the injury, but it remains to be seen.
In the long-term the Cavaliers will be forced to make a trade. They have a first-round draft pick they can dangle along with numerous assets. The team has been linked to several centers throughout the offseason and year including Brook Lope, Mason Plumlee, Roy Hibbert and Greg Monroe. It remains to be seen if the Cavaliers will chase a big name or someone like Timofey Mozgov who might come cheaper.
