Cavs big man Tristan Thompson has heard his name tossed about in trade rumors for the past few seasons, yet he has remained on the roster. The Canadian-born center says it would be “cool” to ride off into a Wine & Gold sunset, ending his career in Cleveland. Ultimately, though, he knows the NBA is a business.
Via Chris Fedor of cleveland.com:
(Thompson) admitted Monday it’d be “cool” to finish his career in Cleveland, where it all started for him as baby-faced rookie in 2011, but understands the business side and is naturally tight-lipped when it comes to his future.
“Business comes before all the other stuff,” Thompson told cleveland.com. “That’s just the reality of our game.”
Thompson is one of the last remaining vestiges from the Cavs’ championship-winning team in 2016. Now that LeBron James has taken his talents to the Lakers, Thompson is serving as a veteran leader for his team, alongside Kevin Love.
Retiring in Cleveland would be a nice ending for Thompson, as the Cavs were the team that drafted him with the 4th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. Whether or not that dream comes to fruition remains to be seen. Interested teams will need to consider his hefty contract, but he is still an omnipresent force in the paint.
In his 31 appearances with the Cavs this season, Thompson has racked up averages of 12.8 points on 50.3 percent shooting from the field (42.9 percent from beyond the arc), 10.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.0 block and just under one steal (0.8) in 31.4 minutes per outing.
Thompson and the Cavs have won four of their last five games. They’ll look to keep their momentum rolling on Tuesday night, when they take on the Raptors in Toronto.