Cavs Bringing Back Tristan Thompson For Reasons That Make Sense

The Cavaliers have had a busy couple of days, beginning with the official announcement of the assistant coaches and support staff for Kenny Atkinson. They also named a new coach for the Cleveland Charge of the G League.

Along with all that comes the news that center Tristan Thompson will return on a one-year deal. That part comes as a bit of a surprise.

Thompson, 33, is in the final stages of his career and the Cavs undoubtedly need help behind Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley — especially given all the injuries we see in today’s game.

So, why Thompson? Well, for starters, the Cavs love his leadership. They love that he will go down in franchise lore as a member of the 2016 title-winning team. They also love what he brings to the court, though those contributions are limited these days. Still, the price was right (likely the veteran’s minimum) and Thompson is familiar with the franchise.

Remember how the Heat kept bringing back big man Udonis Haslem, despite the fact he almost never played toward the end of his career? Well, the Cavaliers may be viewing Thompson in a similar light. Basically, not everyone’s contributions are wildly evident, but they can be wildly vital.

Sources told Hoops Wire that the Cavs are still very much in the market for big men, but seem to believe whatever bigs they do bring in will benefit from the presence of Thompson. Same goes fr Allen and Mobley.

Thompson is well-liked, plays and practices incredibly hard and really wants to play for the Cavaliers. Those reasons and more are why he’ll return.

I personally thought perhaps the Cleveland would take a different path and perhaps take a look at available centers Bismack Biyombo or Harry Giles. That door isn’t closed. But for now, they have a man in Thompson who immediately understands and appreciates the plan.

The Cavs tip off the preseason with media day on September 30, before heading to Florida’s IMG Academy for training camp the day after that. They host the Chicago Bulls on October 8 in their first exhibition game.