DeAndre Liggins Waived by Cavaliers After Appearing in 61 Games

The Cleveland Cavaliers waived guard DeAndre Liggins on Sunday, general manager David Griffin announced in a statement.

Liggins, 29, averaged 2.4 points and 1.7 rebounds in 61 appearances during the regular season. He was active in four of Cleveland's last five games, though his playing time had considerably tapered off after JR Smith and Iman Shumpert returned from injury.

ESPN's Dave McMenamin reported the Cavaliers plan to sign a player to take Liggins' roster spot. In February, Cleveland held a workout that featured a number of veteran guards, including Mario Chalmers, Kirk Hinrich and Jordan Farmar.

All three of those players remain free agents. The Cavs could also target former NBA players like Josh Smith or Jimmer Fredette, who have spent their seasons starring in China. The Chinese season has concluded, so Smith and Fredette (or another player) would be eligible to come over right away.

Given the timing, it's unlikely Cleveland's going to expect much from whomever it signs. That player will more than likely be an insurance policy against a worst-case scenario.

Tristan Thompson has missed the last two games with a sprained thumb, and his status for the remainder of the regular season is unclear. Thompson is the Cavs' most important interior defender and rebounder, and they have no readily available replacement. Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com reported Anderson Varejao could be a potential target.

If the Cavs don't feel comfortable that Thompson will be 100 percent ready for the first round, they'll likely sign a big. Their first-round matchup should be a relative cakewalk regardless of opponent, so they can afford to be a little careful with Thompson and plug in a pseudo-replacement. 

Also, Kobe's available. Just saying. 

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