The Cleveland Cavaliers are reacquiring a key member of their 2016 championship-winning team, Cavaliers signs NBA champion Tristan Thompson. After adding Donovan Mitchell last year, the Cleveland Cavaliers had an impressive regular season with a 51-31 record, securing the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference.
Nevertheless, their offense faced difficulties in the playoffs. During their first-round series against the New York Knicks, Cleveland scored less than 100 points in four out of five games, with a low of 79 points in Game 3.
In an effort to address the challenges that led to their 4-1 series loss to New York, the Cavaliers have made additions to their roster, including Max Strus from the Miami Heat and Georges Niang from the Philadelphia 76ers. They are counting on their three-point shooting prowess to improve their postseason performance in 2023.
Cavaliers Signs NBA Champion Tristan Thompson
As Cleveland continues to fine-tune its roster ahead of training camp, there’s news of a familiar face returning. Tristan Thompson, as reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic, is reportedly signing with the Cavaliers.
For the former Texas Longhorn, this marks a comeback to the team that selected him as the fourth overall pick in the 2011 draft. Thompson played a crucial role in the Cavaliers’ lone championship win five years later. He was also part of the core, led by LeBron James, that reached four NBA Finals.
Following nine seasons with the Cavaliers, the Toronto, Ontario native played 54 games with the Celtics during the 2020-21 season. Boston then traded him to the Kings in July 2021.
The Los Angeles Lakers added Thompson toward the end of the last season to bolster their frontcourt depth for the playoffs.
While his playing time averaged only 5.3 minutes over six games, Thompson’s physicality against Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, along with his contribution of four points in 9:41 minutes, injected much-needed energy into the Lakers as they tried to avoid a sweep by the eventual NBA champions.
Now, Thompson returns to Cleveland, where he will assume a similar role while collaborating closely with the rising star Evan Mobley.
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