Milwaukee Bucks

Report: Larry Sanders is considering a comeback to the NBA

Published Feb. 9, 2016 11:50 a.m. ET

foxsports

Former Milwaukee Bucks center Larry Sanders hasn't played an NBA game since December of 2014, but that doesn't mean he's done playing forever. Sanders is considering some type of comeback, according to Shams Charania of Yahoo! Sports:

"Once my art, music and passions off the court feel stable, I will look into coming back," Sanders told The Vertical. "I still love basketball. I want stability around me, and part of my mindset to leave was not to put all my eggs in one basket.

“I feel highly valuable on any team. There aren't a lot of people who can bring my game to a team. I still play basketball all the time, staying in shape. I will need to make sure the situation is right for me.”

Sanders became a cult hero in the basketball world during the 2012-13 season, enough to earn himself a four-year, $44 million contract with the Bucks, the team that drafted him 15th overall back in the 2010 draft. He retired from the NBA during the middle of last season after some off-court troubles. He has been open about his battles with anxiety and depression. He has also been open about his marijuana use in the past, which reportedly earned him multiple suspensions, including one most recently in January 2015 for 10 games.

Sanders was becoming one of the league's best shot-blockers, rim-protectors and overall defensive players when his numbers started to go downhill. He averaged 9.8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.8 blocks during his age-24 season, the 2012-13 NBA season. But his performance slid during each of the two ensuing years.

Despite working out a buyout with the Bucks in the middle of last season -- one which Charania reports will pay Sanders $1.86 million a year through 2022 -- it seems there's still a little gas left in that tank. It would be hard to imagine any team ponying up anything close to the $44 million he once received from Milwaukee -- partly because of commitment questions and partly because few will know if he's in good enough shape to produce after taking so much time off.

But Sanders was on his way to becoming one of the league's best defenders at one point. He doesn't need to return to his former self in order to be the caliber of an NBA player. If he does want to come back, it's reasonable to guess someone would take a low-risk financial chance on him.