After a second-round exit to the Celtics in a five-game playoff series, the Cavaliers stuck with their core, retaining Donovan Mitchell despite trade rumors surrounding the star point guard. The two sides agreed to a three-year, $150.3 million contract extension this summer.
In late July, Cleveland signed rookie Evan Mobley to a five-year contract extension worth up to $224 million and added three years and $91 million to starting center Jarrett Allen’s contract.
The biggest change for the Cavs came at head coach, moving from J.B. Bickerstaff to Kenny Atkinson.
As they put the finishing touches on their roster before the start of training camp, the Cavaliers have re-signed a team leader and valuable voice in the locker room, reportedly agreeing to a one-year deal with Tristan Thompson, according to ESPN. Adrien Wojnarowski.
The 33-year-old center averaged 3.3 points and 3.6 rebounds in 49 games with Cleveland last season.
The former Texas Longhorns player spent ten of his thirteen professional seasons with the franchise that made him the fourth overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft. Five years later, he helped the team win its only title. He was also part of LeBron James’ core that appeared in four NBA Finals.
After nine seasons with the Cavaliers, Thompson played 54 games with the Celtics during the 2020-21 campaign, producing 7.6 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. Boston then traded him to the Kings in July 2021.
Thompson, whose role is now more of a mentor, played in 10 playoff games last season, averaging 1.5 points and 2.0 rebounds in 8.7 minutes of playing time.
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