Have injuries spoiled Anderson Varejao's trade value? NBA Insider

Inside the numbers

• 3: Teams that have beaten both the Clippers and the Lakers this season: Cleveland, Oklahoma City, Denver.

The last word

• ?They put my [hotel] room on the third floor, so if I jumped, I?d just hurt my knee.? ? Mike D?Antoni, L.A. Lakers coach, who still had a sense of humor after a bumpy flight from Los Angeles to San Antonio recently.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Anderson Varejao had surgery last week. Again. That's three consecutive seasons the Cavaliers' energetic big man has needed surgery, with each time a freak injury sending Varejao to a steady showcase of street clothes.

It's three straight seasons that the Cavaliers' most tradable asset has been sitting on the bench when the trade deadline rolls around. (Technically, Varejao's earliest return date from quad surgery is Feb. 21, which also happens to be the trade deadline.)

All of this forces fans to ask a bigger question: Did the Cavaliers blow it by not trading Varejao before he suffered his latest injury?

To be fair, the Cavaliers were not believed to be actively seeking a trade. Varejao's 14.4 rebounds per game led the league before his injury. They would demand much in return, as evidenced in the most recent trade rumor -- that Cleveland was demanding Clippers guard Eric Bledsoe to be thrown into a proposed DeAndre Jordan for Varejao swap.

Now that Varejao has been struck down again, now that he's been labeled as "injury prone," will other teams be as willing to take a chance on exchanging players for the 30-year-old whose style of reckless abandon makes him more apt than not to suffer another equally obscure injury?

The short answer? It's no big deal.

"Obviously, Cleveland's probably concerned about his health and the frequency of his injuries and so, too, would any trading partner," said ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy in a phone interview this week. "But I'm going to say this: Varejao, no matter what team he plays on, when he's healthy, could fit on any team. Because he goes about his business the right way. He plays hard, he plays smart, he has some unique talents that help him to play consistently well."

Besides, Michael Salata, an orthopedic surgeon with UH Case Medical Center, doesn't really believe there's such a thing as "injury prone," anyway.

Salata says it's possible some athletes are exposed to potential injury more often (mobile quarterbacks such as Robert Griffin III), some have anatomical variables that can lead to injuries (such as women being more prone to ACL injuries because of their hip structure), and that some sports with repetitive motion carry an obvious risk of injury (shoulder and elbow problems for pitchers).

Salata is more inclined to believe that "injury prone" players develop that label when not allowing an injury to sufficiently heal, thereby leading to further injuries.

"Not letting an athlete heal properly or trying to get a guy back too soon can lead to setbacks," he said.

None of these things has happened to Varejao, who has had injuries to three different body parts in three years. It's true that his frenetic style of play makes him more likely to draw physical contact, but that's also the kind of player that teams desire.

"It's not like he's standing around and people run into him and injure him," said ESPN analyst Kurt Rambis, a former player and coach. "He's playing hard, he's laying his body out there every single night. When you play with the sort of energy and intensity that he plays with, the unfortunate thing about sports is you get hurt. Look at RG3. It's unfortunate that things like that happen."

So while the Cavaliers have lost trade value in Varejao -- who were they going to get in return, anyway? -- it's not as if they're doomed if they ever attempt to trade the Brazilian center. Varejao has one season remaining on his current contract, and a team option for 2014-15 worth $9.8 million.

"He's a very good player and he's exactly what most people don't have -- which is high-energy, high-effort, high-character guys," Van Gundy said. "You're always looking for that."

The Cavaliers don't mind having that, either, if they end up "stuck" with him. He is, after all, the heart and soul of the Cleveland team, according to coach Byron Scott.

"I don't think they should be in any rush [to trade him]," Van Gundy said. "I think having players like Varejao around help develop their younger players. It gives them people to model themselves after. I think this idea to trade Varejao just to trade him indiscriminately for some other pieces ... you better be pretty darn sure that you're getting someone as good, if not better, in return."

Source: http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2013/01/have_injuries_spoiled_anderson.html

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