Bucks assistant GM: Larry Sanders 'absolutely' part of future plans

After a breakout 2012-13 season that earned Larry Sanders a four-year, $44-million contract extension in Milwaukee, the Bucks big man endured a disastrous 2013-14 campaign that saw him limited to just 23 games.

Sanders was involved in an alleged bar fight in November, wherein he sustained a thumb injury that required surgery, then he had his already-shortened season ended by a James Harden elbow that fractured his orbital bone. And finally, he received a five-game suspension in April for violating the NBA's anti-drug policy by using marijuana.

That suspension - like Sanders' lucrative extension - won't kick in until the start of the coming season. Given all the trouble the 25-year-old has had over the last year, you might expect the Bucks want to get out from under that contract.

Not so, according to Bucks assistant general manager David Morway, who told Hoops Hype that Sanders remains in Milwaukee's future plans.

Absolutely. Yeah, yeah. Larry is in our future plans. We are hopeful that this year Larry gets back to being the basketball player that he was two years ago. He is a defensive presence and a game changer on the court. So when you have his length along with Giannis, Jabari Parker, John Henson and then Zaza Pachulia, Damien Inglis, who is very long, and if you play Khris Middleton at the two...We are a fairly long team.

The Bucks do suddenly possess an intriguing mix of young talent to build with, and the defensive potential of a Sanders-Henson-Antetokounmpo frontline is limitless, but you also have to wonder how honest Morway can really be here.

Publicly giving up on Sanders as his $44 million deal is set to begin would be bad business and would only drive down what's left of the big man's trade value. Remember, just a few months ago it was reported that Sanders' trade value was "virtually non-existent."

Taking all that into consideration, it's not surprising to hear the Bucks standing by their man. For now.