Former No. 4 Overall Draft Pick Signs New NBA Deal

Veteran center Tristan Thompson spent two months sitting in free agency wondering about the next stop in his NBA career. The former 2011 fourth-overall pick's wait ended on Friday when Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul — who's also Thompson's agent — revealed that his client was re-signing with the Cleveland Cavaliers .

But aside from Paul's confirmation, details about the new contract were scarce. Fortunately, the latest update on Monday revealed more information surrounding Thompson's extended stay in Cleveland.

The Cavaliers opened the week by announcing that Thompson has been officially re-signed to a one-year contract. While the financial details of the deal are unknown for now, it's likely to be a veteran minimum contract given his age (33) and the current stage of the NBA offseason.

After a promising collegiate career at Texas, Thompson spent his first nine professional seasons with the Cavaliers before returning to the franchise last year. He's started in the majority (429) of his 668 regular-season appearances in a Cleveland jersey, averaging 9.0 points, 8.3 rebounds and 0.7 blocks while shooting 52 percent from the floor.

That's without mentioning how he helped the Cavaliers win their first-ever NBA championship in 2016.

Nevertheless, the Cavaliers are hoping for a less distracting season from Thompson this fall. The former Longhorns center was suspended for 25 games during the 2023-24 campaign after violating the NBA's anti-drug program in January.

Thompson eventually returned to the lineup following a two-month absence, however, it was clear that his play dropped off. The 33-year-old rim protector only averaged 1.8 points and 2.3 rebounds between his final 23 regular-season and playoff appearances, leaving many to wonder what's left in the tank for year 14.

With the likes of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen ahead of him on the depth chart, the Cavaliers hope that Thompson can provide a reliable bench presence going forward. If not, he could be playing the remainder of his NBA career on borrowed time.