Larry Sanders Rumored To Draw Interest From Western Conference Team

Per Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times, former Milwaukee Bucks center Larry Sanders has supposedly been linked to an unnamed Western Conference team. Given the Trail Blazers' abundance of cap space and desire to build young, they could certainly be the team in question if the Woelfel's report is at all substantiated.

You knew this was inevitable: A source tells me a Western Conference team has had internal talks about possibly signing Larry Sanders.

— Gery Woelfel (@GeryWoelfel) October 12, 2015

Selected at No. 15 in the 2010 NBA Draft, Sanders is an athletic rim protector who oozed potential before leaving the game in 2014 to deal with personal issues, including anxiety and depression. While some Portland fans might not want to forgive the Virginia Commonwealth University product for his flagrant push on Nicolas Batum last season, his upside cannot be ignored.

If I get to a point where I feel I’m capable of playing basketball again, I will.

While the Blazers already have six total players at the power forward and center positions (seven if you count Al-Farouq Aminu), the possibility of adding a strong defender like Sanders is intriguing to say the least. However, it would likely put undrafted rookie Cliff Alexander on the chopping block to clear room.

In five seasons with the Bucks, Sanders averaged 6.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks. He received 38 votes for 2013 Defensive Player of the Year, finishing between Tim Duncan and Paul George at No. 7. If he appears to be on top of his problems, it may be worth investigating his mental and physical readiness.