The Cavaliers have made veteran center Tristan Thompson available in trade talks, with the February 6 deadline around the corner, league sources tell Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.
Thompson has been viewed as a possible trade candidate for most of the season, given his expiring contract and Cleveland’s place near the bottom of the NBA’s standings. However, fellow veteran big man Kevin Love has been the more frequent subject of trade rumors, while other vets on expiring contracts – such as Brandon Knight, John Henson, and Matthew Dellavedova – have been considered more expendable.
There were rumblings earlier in the season that the Cavs may prefer to hang onto Thompson and extend him beyond the season. Haynes’ report today doesn’t necessarily mean that desire has waned — it could still be something the two sides explore if no trade materializes this week.
Cleveland’s renewed interest in gauging the trade market for Thompson could also signal that the team is unsure about the 28-year-old’s interest in a long-term deal. A December report indicated that agent Rich Paul would likely prefer to see his client reach free agency.
The Cavaliers are in “asset accumulation mode,” sources tell Haynes, who suggests that Thompson could be an ideal acquisition for a contending team looking for a defensive and rebounding presence to bolster its frontcourt.
Thompson’s $18.5MM cap hit could be tricky for some teams to match, but he’s having a strong season with unrestricted free agency around the corner, averaging career-best marks in PPG (11.9), RPG (10.4), and APG (2.1).
This guy only plays on contract yrs. Got payed cause Bron wanted. He was needed for playoffs. Not worth big contract. I would move him.
And he didn’t do jack in those playoffs; got out-rebounded by Curry. Curry! He’s done, only a stupid team would pay him more than the minimum.
Rich Paul has NOT said publicly that TT wants free agency, but that is what is “believed”. Whatever. This hurts TT’s trade value, esp since, most people would think TT would prefer to re-sign without a bidding process that cements his value lower than he wants known.
His high salary is not so high anymore; but it’s about the match anyway.
He might find motivation outside of Cleveland, given his interest in celeb activities. His baby-fam considers Cleveland a horror. If energized elsewhere, he still has a dynamic strong body at 6-9 to put to use.