The Cleveland Cavaliers and Tristan Thompson have agreed to a five-year contract, according to a report from Chris Haynes at the Cleveland Plain Dealer. The deal is reportedly for $82 million and Thompson now will end his holdout and report to the team ahead of the start of the NBA season.
Thompson and the Cavaliers have been in a stalemate over the contract for most of the summer and the preseason and now the sides have agreed. Cleveland.com reports that the deal is for five-years and $82 million and it comes after previous reports that Thompson was looking for a max contract from the Cavs. The Cavaliers open the NBA season next week and according to Marc Spears at Yahoo Sports, Thompson will report to the team on Thursday.
Earlier reports this month had Thompson's holdout potentially extending into the season, but that will not happen now that Thompson has agreed to a deal. Thompson averaged 8.5 points and 8.0 rebounds in 82 games played last season. Thompson was key for the Cavs in the playoffs after Kevin Love was lost to a shoulder injury, as he took over as the starting power forward and helped the team make it into the NBA finals. During the finals Thompson averaged 10 points and 13 rebounds per game and and in the conference finals he also averaged a double-double.
LeBron James said to the media over the summer that he was confident a deal would get done with Thompson and that he hoped Thompson would be with the Cavaliers for the long term. James now has Love, Thompson, Iman Shumpert and JR Smith signed into next year and that gives the team a solid window to win an NBA title. Thompson has missed training camp and the preseason and now he has about a week to prepare for the start of the regular season.
The Cavaliers have been one of the most active teams in the league in retaining their free agents this summer and Thompson was the last player left unsigned. The team has spent nearly $300 million in guaranteed money this offseason and players like LeBron James, Kevin Love, Iman Shumpert, JR Smith and Matthew Dellavedova have received contracts. Love was signed to a max contract and with Thompson playing the same position, it held things up in contract talks.
The Cavaliers are considered to be the favorites in the eastern conference after making it to the finals last season and adding Thompson only helps push that prediction. The Cavaliers have a strong starting five and now Thompson gives the team a very talented player coming off the bench.
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