Thursday, July 9th, 2009 at 10:00 am  |  123 responses

Anderson Varejao, $50 Mil, and You

by Marcel Mutoni

Not sure about the rest of you out there, but I had a tough time sleeping last night. I mean, if this is now a world in which Anderson Varejao is worth $50 million (according to the voices inside Danny Ferry’s mind, anyway), is it a world any of us really want to live in?

The Plain Dealer sifts threw the financial wreckage:

The Cavs have agreed on a new contract with forward Anderson Varejao, agent Dan Fegan said Wednesday…Varejao, the team’s versatile big man who became a starter last season, is set to get a six-year contract that could be worth as much as $50 million.

Varejao had interest from several teams, including the Portland Trail Blazers and Oklahoma City Thunder, and other potential sign-and-trade offers from other teams without salary-cap space. Fegan said several teams were willing to offer Varejao contracts that averaged $10 million per season.

I joked on Twitter that this was just a ploy by the Cavs’ GM to take the attention away from LeBron and the folks who make his running shoes following DunkGate, and I still haven’t heard a more reasonable explanation for this deal.

Feel free to help me out in the comments below.

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  • wilz

    cleveland has one last hurrah…then it’s going to become a sad sad team to watch

  • http://www.okayplayer.com doyouwantmore

    LOL!

  • BostonBaller

    I now have another reason to dislike the Cavs. Ferry and his flunkies have driven the price up so that we (Boston) will not be able to retain G. Davis. Thanks alot you anal circles. ps. Someone has to have the kid dunking on James on their phone. Get on it SLAM!!!

  • http://phoenixsunsrising.blogspot.com Hersey

    Varejao is making it rain in the City of Men

  • http://Egotastic.com Michael

    Mitch Kupchak is sending mental bullets at Danny ferry right now.

  • http://slamonline.com Brad Long

    Let’s be honest, is there anyone else who could pull off that nasty post move he put on Tim Duncan in last few seconds of the 06-07 Finals?

  • http://slamonline Blaze

    good for them. Wild thing will make sure Shaq stays quick in practice. Have they decided if big Z will be starting along side shaq yet?

  • nba kid

    Vlade Divac has gotta be proud of his protege now.

  • neaorin

    Cavs fan here. 6yrs and 42 million (the rest are incentives) is just OK on a per-year basis, it’s the length of the deal that’s the head-scratcher. At least the final year is not guaranteed. But I’m sorry, 8 and 8 does not tell the whole story.

  • neaorin

    Drew Gooden averaged 13 and 8 with the Bulls this year until he got traded, but I’d take Varejao over Gooden any day.

  • http://slamonline Negetivekreep

    LeBron…if your listening, Please kill this story before it reaches Lamar!

  • http://sportzin.com Joey E.

    danny ferry is ass

  • Duck

    no no no…y-all just got wrong….it was a typo in the contract…it really was 5 milion for five years

  • Duck

    knicks fans just thanks Danny

  • http://www.slamonline.com wayno

    Anderson Varejao has been confiscated by LeBron James…

  • http://slam Kobe>Lebron

    This guy plays hard, but 5o million, why wouldn’t they try to throw that money at Lamar? Lebron+Shaq+Varejo x 50 mil = Lebron in a new uniform in 2010….

  • yaway

    how do i respond to this?

  • http://double-technical.blogspot.com Zee!

    Get ya money sideshow bob!!!!

  • http://www.manutd.com Z

    Wow. Just, wow. 50 mil for intangibles? Charlie V signed for 15 mil LESS. At that price, they could have let him walk and sign Milsapp or Charlie V straight. Up the ante on Artest or Ariza… WOW!

  • yaway

    Breaking News: Spurs sign Antonio McDyess. Damn they are good.

  • Jmonz

    this is what the nba has come to. 50$ mil. contracts for people like this dude

  • http://myspace.com/DATBOIFABIO fabio

    haha nice move cavs!! thats about a penny a flop! AHH get a jump shot dude! well at least a post game no??

  • http://www.kb24.com The Seed

    What a waste of money, the should have gotten Charlie V. No wonder Ariza is mad with the Lakers when a take a charge, 6 reb, 4 point player can get 50 million. No wonder Lebron is leaving.

  • http://myspace.com/DATBOIFABIO fabio

    Next they are going to sign Michael Sweetney to a 5 year 70 million dollar contract….

  • http://myspace.com/DATBOIFABIO fabio

    wtf…I’m not fabio…

  • http://www.slamonline.com wayno

    Sorry, the last two posts were me…

  • http://slamonline.com Jacob J

    One word…Overpaid!

  • Teddy-the-Bear

    Andrea Bargnani >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Andy aka Carlito Cool X 2000000000000000

  • WOODY

    It’s only about 6.3 million plus raises. It’s a lot but he plays 4 and 5, is young and energetic, and Lebron really likes him and wants him around. He was offered more per year elsewhere but for less years. Full exemptions still available for other signings. Cavs are doing OK so far.

  • jose

    its weird how the spurs just get so much better and no one knows of it untill way later. But Varejao is worth the MLE max!!!!no more than that

  • JOE_SIXPACK

    I can’t believe this, Varejo gets 50 mill but Iverson can’t even get a MLE or a decent contract from some team? ah man somewhere the basketball gods are crying

  • http://www.hibachi20.blogspot.com Hursty

    If only this was a 10 year contract… *sigh*

  • madis

    it was a must sign situation for ferry cause nobody else not over 50 was available that fits in the cavs system. varejao is 27, still improving and has good chemistry with lebron. if they would of let him go, there would have been darnell jackson or injured jj hickson starting at 4.

  • Duiduidui

    He is the only player in the NBA that excels in something that is not basketball related , acting. Now he will be starting in a movie call , WAY OVERPAID.

  • madis

    going after those loos balls, rebounds, getting under opponents big men’s skins, not turning the ball over, charges, hustle and energy is very basketball related. Cavs are a defensive team and he is their best defensive big guy. Yes, he couldn’t handle D12 but that’s why they now have Shaq. Andy V’s stat’s are just half the story.

  • john

    very overpaid

  • #6marjon

    Varejao IS the salary cap

  • http://www.realcavsfans.com Anton

    Anyone else feel that earthquake in Ohio? That was the collective state in a massive facepalm.

  • http://www.lkz.ch Darksaber

    D’OH!

  • Alan

    if Varejao is worth 50 Millions, LBJ is worth 1.000 Millions…

  • John

    Hey, actors are expensive

  • RedRum

    Someone is really messing up the Cavs… Millsap is on the market for 7-8 mil per year, and they are paying Bob 10??? are you freaking kidding me???

  • qp

    i mean really, this is a big mistake. he does not deserve all that money. he is in the nba and for what intangibles, 50 mil for that, that is ludacris, he deserves a total of at 2 mil max over 5 years. he is not worth it. not at all!!!!

  • Son of Shawn

    Somewhere, just now, Mr. James Michael McIlvaine is smiling.

  • Danny W UK

    And I rememeber how much Mr McIlvaine killed yo Daddy’s morale/willingness to work for the team etc etc. Although he shoulda been mad at Management and/or Mr McIlvaine’s agent. This won’t happen with LeBron. My only thoughts are that maybe Sideshow Anderson gives LeBron good head in the showers, so he has to be in for the long run. Once Sideshow tried that f**ked up lay up/finger roll sit, with the clock winding down in the Finals ’07, I’d have beaten his as and kicked him out the League. Fo Sho.

  • ngoiekafita

    What Milsap is still on the market for 7-8 mil?
    Oh Lord, please strike Ferry!!!
    These are depressing times in Cleveland. Poor LeBron, management are just handing him over to Jersey on a silver platter.
    As much as I love the guy, this ain’t right!
    Who’s is goin to be the main dude after Bron bolt? Andy? Maybe they might ask Ferry to start playing again?

  • madis

    @ RedRum
    They’re paying him around 6,3 (plus incentives that’s 8,3). How exactly is Bob gettin 10?

    Plus, even if the Cavs would’ve let Varejao walk, they only have the MLE (around 8 mil) to spend on FA-s. They still have that. 3 is now spent on Parker, who is a solid addition.

    The Cavs did not have money to add a player like Charlie V or David Lee. And the top FA-s didn’t simply want to come to Cleveland. It’s a ok deal, although 6 yrs is a little too much.

  • RedRum

    @Madis
    I missed it is a 6 year deal, thought it was a 5. Still, for the same money (8mil) they get Millsap, a legitimate PF starter, not a 7-8th player in a rotation…

  • Pancho

    Millsap COULDVE worked in the system, but you know that in the Cleveland front office they are suckers for team chemistry, and nobody gets along better with LBJ than Andy. Plus he does exactly what a defensive minded coach would want. Take charges, bother and frustrate opponents, flop and get a couple of calls every game. This IS the player that will keep the cavs defensive identity. When the Spurs were winning they had 3 of 4 of these guys. Just plain defensive floppers. And it works. Ferry knows this.
    And the money is just a tad over the MLE, I think the cavs are doing just fine. Definitely better than last year.

  • Pancho

    And on offense, where else are they going to find a guy who will definitely not even complain if he doesnt have a play called for him?
    Andy is happy setting 3,4 screens every possesion, waiting to sneak behind defenders who have their eyes stuck on LeBron and now Shaq (who is also a good passer).
    Most of LeBrons fanciest assists last year were passes to Andy, cause he was the one trying to get open when everybody else is just staring at the King.
    And he gets garbage points.
    I think letting Andy go would’ve been a terrible move. They dont need another go-to guy on offense, hell no. And few people in the L can play post D like Andy V.
    If you guys dont know how important Varejaos role is in the Cavs rotation, and dont see how this was another good move by D.Ferry, you just didnt watch the cavs play last year.

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