Cavs Officially Sign Tristan Thompson to Partially Guaranteed Deal

AKRON, Ohio — Well, it appears the Cavaliers will have a starter from their 2016 championship team back in uniform.

And now, it’s official. That’s right, according to the NBA transactions log, center/forward Tristan Thompson has officially signed and is returning to Cleveland.

While no details have been made public, Thompson’s contract includes a partial guarantee, per John Hollinger of The Athletic.

Thompson, 32, is a different player than when he left, of course. After being a Cavs iron man of sorts, he has spent the past three years with five different teams — the Celtics, Kings, Pacers, Bulls and back alongside LeBron James with the Lakers. Thompson and James, of course, were teammates when the Cavs made four runs to the Finals from 2015-18.

As for their time together with the Lakers, well, it happened in the blink of an eye. After going unsigned as a free agent all regular season, Thompson latched on with LA in late April. He then appeared in six playoff games, mostly in mop-up duty, but proved he had plenty left in the minutes he did play.

As usual, Thompson hustled around the rim, grabbing some offensive rebounds, keeping possessions alive, and serving as a pest on defense. And the Cavs could’ve used that type of energy against the Knicks in the playoffs, where they were occasionally manhandled near the hoop.

Thompson is also a vocal leader and isn’t afraid to call out teammates when they’re underperforming. As one rival GM told Hoops Wire, it will “be good for the Cavs to have Thompson around Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley” and the rest of the frontcourt.

Thompson joins Darius Garland as members of the team who are represented by agent Rich Paul, a Northeast Ohio product.

Thompson carries career averages of 9.0 points and 8.4 rebounds — and averaged 6.0 and 5.1, respectively, in his last full season of 2021-22. The Cavs selected him with the No. 4 overall pick in 2011, three spots behind point guard Kyrie Irving.