At 28-years of age, Tristan Thompson isn’t exactly the definition of a veteran who are typically old and been everywhere. But on his ninth season with the Cleveland Cavaliers, an NBA championship, and a few deep postseason runs on his belt as the constant member of the wine and gold, he certainly qualifies as such.
That’s why the Cavs forward felt he was under authority to dispense some sage advice to the relatively young roster, particularly to their crop of rookies and young studs per Fox Sports Cleveland.
“I’m happy with our young guys. They want to learn, they want to be great, and they’re pushing themselves day in and day out. No shortcuts. Do the right thing. Don’t cheat the game. Be good to the game and the game will be good to you. I learned that from a young age. What you put in is what you’ll get out of it. Just put your best foot forward and you just compete every day and work hard every summer, the results will show.
Thompson is a prime candidate, along with another ‘veteran’ forward in Kevin Love, to be shipped out as the struggling Cavs continue to rebuild. There is certainly no shortage of suitors given the 6-foot-9 big man’s modest averages of 12.8 points and 10.1 rebounds in just over 31 minutes of action. With his playoff experience, ferocity on the boards, and ability to defend well, a contender could make use of him as an important piece as they move forward.