Larry Sanders (Photo : NBAE via Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Lakers could be the team to explore Larry Sanders' interest in an NBA comeback.
The Lakers have a lot of work to do once free agency hits in July, and one of the many things the franchise would look into is finding a replacement for Roy Hibbert, who is set to become a free agent this summer.
One of the possible targets the Lakers could explore is luring Sanders into playing in the NBA again.
In a Q&A with Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders, Sanders revealed he is still enjoying basketball and admitted he has season tickets with the Lakers.
"I have season tickets for the Los Angeles Lakers and I love watching and dissecting the game. I mean, I love this game. I really do. I love to play it, and I do still play a lot here in L.A," Sanders said.
"But there were some things about it, some situations, that I didn't love. But I feel like I'm in a much better place right now and I'm equipped to be able to put myself in that situation again."
Sanders was waived by the Milwaukee Bucks in February last year, with the 6-foot-11 center working through "personal issues" that time. Last season, he only played 27 games for the Bucks, averaging 7.3 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.4 blocks, while playing 21.7 minutes per game.
Just weeks after reaching a contract buy-out with Milwaukee, Sanders revealed he had received treatment for anxiety and depression, and had insisted he will return to playing basketball once he is capable to doing so again.
It has been more than a year after suffering from his mental health problems and Sanders seems ready to make a return on the hard court. According to SB Nation's Harrison Faigen, the Lakers may want to "investigate" bringing Sanders to Los Angeles.
The Lakers will almost certainly look at starrier options to open free agency, but if they miss on players like Hassan Whiteside and Al Horford, Sanders could be an interesting option for a team that isn't in a position to turn away talent," Faigen wrote.
Sanders could be an intriguing option for the Lakers, who sorely lacked rim protection and a defensive anchor this season. If LA would successfully acquire Sanders, he could complement in Lakers' core of young talents.
