The Golden State Warriors may have added the final piece to their roster to make sure a repeat is in place this season. After almost 12 years with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Anderson Varejao has chosen to sign a veteran minimum deal with the defending champions.

The 33-year-old center was traded from the Cavaliers to the Portland Trail Blazers last Feb. 18 but was immediately waived. Although the San Antonio Spurs showed interest on Varejao, the Brazilian player decided to sign with the Warriors.

Golden State waived forward Jason Thompson, who was acquired last offseason, to make room for Varejao. But why would the defending NBA champions sign an often-injured center as they try to win back-to-back titles?

Big Man Problems

The Warriors roster is one of the deepest in the league, but backup center Festus Ezeli is still out for a month following a knee surgery. Also, Andrew Bogut is hampered by an Achilles injury. Marreese Speights is more of a scorer than a defender and Thompson barely played any games this season.

The team also has rookie Kevon Looney and sophomore James Michael McAdoo, but they will surely not be in the final minutes of a close playoff game. Lastly, as evidenced by the game against the Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State used Draymond Green as the center. However, he is not capable of playing center for an entire game.

Energy

"I have not been notified of that. But it makes perfect sense, right?" Warriors head coach Steve Kerr commented regarding Varejao. The defending champions will have the 6-foot-11, 270-pound big man that brings an incredible amount of energy when he is on the court.

Varejao also likes contact, physicality, has defense and makes hustle plays. Despite being not a starting center anymore, he still has the ability to defend the four and five positions as well as grab some rebounds. Having played 12 seasons and a lot of games in the NBA, Varejao also has valuable veteran experience.

Why Golden State?

Varejao was part of the Cavaliers team that lost to Golden State in last year's finals, but why would he sign with the Warriors? As mentioned earlier, he is already 33 years old and this might be his best chance to win his first championship.

He also has a chance in Cleveland if he has not been traded, and the Spurs are also a title contender this year. Kerr and the coaching staff can maximize his limited ability and ties with the team. Varejao is close friends with fellow Brazilian Leandro Barbosa and is a former teammate of associate coach Luke Walton.