On August 20, 2013, Larry Sanders signed a contract extension for four years worth $44 million. At the time, he was one of the young, emerging big men in the league, generating research studies (see: LARRY SANDERS! Effect) and storylines across the country for his defensive capabilities. Many were skeptical about the amount of money given to a player still developing but John Hammond and the rest of his front office staff had reason to believe the lanky 6'11" center would continue to become one of the most disruptive forces in the NBA for years to come...
Fast forward to January 16, 2015: Larry Sanders is suspended for the second time in less than a year for violating the terms of the NBA's Anti-Drug Program. There has been a laundry list of things Sanders has done since signing the contract extension back in 2013 that more than enough people know about to re-address but it may be the final straw for the big man in Milwaukee. Before the suspension, he was already on bad terms with the organization and hadn't played since December 23, 2014.
Following the Bucks third season-ending injury, a torn ACL from point guard Kendall Marshall, combined with Larry's suspension, the Bucks found themselves suiting up 11 players if they were lucky. This didn't include recent nagging injuries to Ersan Illyasova and Zaza Pachulia. Looking for more front court depth, they were able to add Kenyon Martin by releasing Nate Wolters to provide veteran leadership and a jolt of energy off the bench. All of these injuries had me asking myself how the Bucks weren't able to add another player (without releasing someone) with three already out for the year? It turns out the CBA states that a team is only able to add a roster spot if there are four or more players out for at least four weeks. Even though Larry hasn't played in weeks, before the 10-game suspension, he was not placed on Injured Reserve or was suspended for a length longer than four weeks and could not be included with Jabari Parker, Damien Inglis and Kendall Marshall to free up a roster spot for the Bucks.
The final question would revolve around the Bucks next step moving forward. I see possible two scenarios:
Scenario 1: Similar to the way the Pistons handled Josh Smith, the Bucks waive Sanders once he completes his suspension and begin the buyout process using the stretch provision that will spread his remaining salary over the next seven years. Instead of paying $11 million over the course of three years the Bucks will be able to pay just over $4 million during the course of seven. This will then give them an open roster spot to use towards signing a player (most likely point guard Jorge Gutierrez) for the remainder of the season. This would also open the door for a playoff contender to sign Sanders by March 1st if he miraculously decides he wants to play basketball again, which is not out of the question from what we have seen from the centers' decisions over the past year.
Scenario 2: The Bucks hold on to Sanders for the remainder of the season in an effort to give him time to find his motivation to play and for the organization to figure out how long they want to let him decide. Either way they are paying his salary this season and should they decide to waive him after the season, his salary can still be stretched. As immature as Sanders has been, he remains one of the best rim protectors in the NBA.
Would a Jorge Gutierrez contract for the rest of the season help the Bucks win a playoff series this year and be worth giving up on a young defensive force? No. I am with the rest of you and am ready to move on from Sanders, but it is worth seeing how everything plays out before the team parts with their highest paid player.
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