CLEVELAND — The Cavaliers officially announced on Tuesday that they have signed forward/center Tristan Thompson, bringing the 13-year veteran back to Cleveland where his career began.
“Tristan embodies every trait we want as part of our team culture, and we couldn’t be more excited to bring his experience and character back into our franchise,” said Cavaliers President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman in a statement. “His impact both on and off the court is immeasurable, and his history with our team adds a layer of familiarity, leadership and physicality that will undoubtedly make a positive impact with our younger players. An integral part of our four consecutive NBA Finals trips and an NBA Championship in 2016, Tristan represented the organization with the utmost charm and professionalism during his nine seasons in Northeast Ohio. We are thrilled to reunite with Tristan and welcome him and his family back to the Cavaliers family.”
The deal was first reported on Monday by The Athletic and Stadum's NBA Insider Shams Charania.
Thompson, drafted 4th overall in the 2011 NBA Draft by the Cavs, was a stalwart contributor during LeBron James' second tenure in Cleveland. The native of Canada started at center as the Cavaliers brought Cleveland its first major sports championship since 1964, beating the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals.
In nine seasons with the Cavaliers, Thompson averaged 9.4 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. He signed a free agent deal with the Boston Celtics for the 2020-21 season as Cleveland was in the middle of a total rebuild.
Thompson spent the next three seasons bouncing around between four different teams, as well as a short stint as an analyst on ESPN in early 2023. He appeared in six playoff games for the Lakers in the 2023 NBA Playoffs after signing with Los Angeles late in the regular season.
With the signing of Thompson, he now becomes of the last remaining member of the 2016 championship team to play for the Cavs. Kevin Love held that distinction until the team bought him out of his contract last season.
The 32-year-old Thompson still ranks among the Cavs' all-time leaders in offensive rebounds (second, 2,115), total rebounds (third, 5,393), defensive rebounds (fifth, 3,278), blocks (sixth, 447), games played (seventh, 619) and minutes (eighth, 17,373).
Thompson fills an open roster spot that needed to be filled before the start of the regular season. They currently have one remaining roster spot.
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