The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed center Anderson Varejão to a 10-day contract.
The team was granted a hardship exception by the NBA in order to acquire Varejão.
Varejão returns to Cleveland, where he spent his first 12 NBA seasons, appearing in 591 regular season games (208 starts) with averages of 7.6 points on .512 shooting from the field and 7.5 rebounds in 25.0 minutes. The center from Brazil still ranks among the franchise’s all-time leaders in offensive rebounds (fourth, 1,479), defensive rebounds (seventh, 2,955), total rebounds (sixth, 4,434), games played (eighth, 591), blocks (tied-eighth, 397) and steals (eighth, 529). He earned NBA All-Defensive Second Team honors in 2009-10.
"Andy embodies all that the city of Cleveland stands for and beyond, and we couldn’t be more excited to bring his experience, leadership and character back into this locker room,” said Koby Altman. “His infectious work ethic and commitment to our community have earned him his rightful place in the fabric of this organization and all of Northeast Ohio, and have established a genuine admiration that resonates strongly throughout our passionate fan base. There are not many athletes who can impact the game of basketball the way Andy has over his career, and I feel that our players will benefit greatly from their daily interaction with him. We are thrilled to welcome Andy and family back to the Cavaliers.”
