Lue sent a ball boy to get Cavs GM's permission to play Sanders

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue had to campaign for Larry Sanders to see the floor in his first game with the Cavs on Tuesday night, and then had to get creative to get the OK from general manager David Griffin.

Lue said after the game that he'd wanted to start Sanders - who hadn't played in an NBA game in over two years - but that Griffin had shut down the idea. But with the Cavs leading the Detroit Pistons by nearly 40 points with under two minutes to play, Lue saw an opportunity to get Sanders some action before he got sent to Canton for a D-League assignment. He just needed a way to get word to Griffin.

"I had to get permission," Lue told reporters. "I sent a ball boy up there to talk to Griff. He said (Sanders) had two minutes."

Sanders stepped away from the game in the first year of a four-year contract with the Milwaukee Bucks back in early 2015 due to struggles with his mental health, but he seems genuinely committed to making his opportunity with the Cavs count.

"I really just wanted to introduce him to the crowd and have him get in, give him a chance to have a standing ovation," Lue said. "I thought it was good for him. When you go through what he's went through, and you have a chance to get back in the NBA on a pretty good team, I thought it was cool."

Sanders said Lue didn't consult with him to gauge his readiness for the two-minute garbage-time stint.

"He kind of gave me a look and I just started stretching," Sanders said. "Hopefully I get used to that look."