Tristan Thompson Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Injury Notes: Crowder, Thompson, Rose, Anderson

April 5th, 2017 at 1:49pm CST by Luke Adams

Jae Crowder‘s status for Boston’s game against Cleveland on Wednesday night isn’t yet known, but an MRI on his injured left elbow confirmed that there’s no structural damage, which is good news for the Celtics forward, writes Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com. Crowder referred to himself as day-to-day, and there’s a chance he’ll play through the injury.

Meanwhile, on the other side of tonight’s matchup, there’s some some good news and bad news for the Cavaliers. In the positive column, Kyle Korver returned to the team’s lineup on Tuesday night after missing 11 games with a foot injury. However, another key rotation player, Tristan Thompson, left that game with what has since been diagnosed as a sprained right thumb.

Thompson has appeared in 447 consecutive games, but that streak will come to an end this week, as he has officially been ruled out for the Cavaliers’ next two games against Boston and Atlanta. The veteran big man will continue to undergo treatment and be re-evaluated, with the team presumably hoping he can return in time for the playoffs.

Here are a few more injury updates of note from around the NBA:

The Knicks announced today (via Twitter) that point guard Derrick Rose underwent an “uncomplicated” left knee arthroscopy to address his meniscus tear. The team expects Rose to resume basketball activities in about three to six weeks.
Rockets forward Ryan Anderson, who has been sidelined with a sprained ankle for nearly two weeks, may return later this week. As Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston tweets, James Harden suggested today that the club is hoping to get Anderson back on Friday.
Dirk Nowitzki has a chance to return to the lineup for the Mavericks on Wednesday night, per head coach Rick Carlisle. Nowitzki will be a game-time decision after having sat out the team’s last game with Achilles soreness, tweets Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com.
Colin Hoobler, a physical therapist in Portland, took a closer look at Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic‘s fibular fracture in an interesting piece for The Oregonian.

Cavaliers Notes: Thompson, Sanders, J.R. Smith

March 26th, 2017 at 10:24am CST by Arthur Hill

Coach Tyronn Lue is concerned about Tristan Thompson‘s playing time, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, but the Cavaliers have few other options at center. Thompson is playing 30 minutes per night, his highest total in three years, and Lue is concerned that he might get worn down by playoff time. “We just have to try to figure out ways to get him off the floor like last night, getting his minutes down,” Lue said Saturday. “Then getting him off the floor tonight trying to do the same thing. He’s the only center we have. He has to play right now.” The Cavs thought they solved that problem when they signed Andrew Bogut last month, but a broken leg in his first game took him out of the equation.

There’s more news out of Cleveland:

Free agent center Larry Sanders, who was signed as a replacement for Bogut, appears far away from being ready to help, Fedor notes in the same piece. Sanders has seen most of his action in the D-League since joining the Cavs March 13th. He has played just two minutes in two games at the NBA level. “Well, we have to try to get him in some better shape. Right now his timing and shape is not good,” Lue said. “That’s why he’s been in the D-League playing and trying to get ready. The guys in the D-League say he’s been great. He’s just trying to work and trying to get to that point.”
Lue said J.R. Smith is going through “training camp” after missing a major part of the season with a fractured right thumb, Fedor relays in a separate piece. Smith, who has shot just 31% from the field in the 10 games since his return, was moved back into the starting lineup Wednesday. “It’s like preseason for him,” Lue said. “Just trying to get these games under his belt to get his rhythm, get his timing, get his legs defensively and lock into what we’re doing. When you miss training camp early in the season and then you get hurt early in the season it’s been tough on him. He’s got to work his way through it and I know he will.”
Starting Smith has weakened the team’s defense, according to Jason Lloyd of The Athletic (subscription site). When Iman Shumpert or DeAndre Liggins started, they defended opposing point guards. Since the change, that task has fallen to Kyrie Irving, and the Cavs surrendered a combined 65 points to Kemba Walker and John Wall in back-to-back games.

Cavaliers Notes: Thompson, Love, Griffin

January 30th, 2017 at 5:31pm CST by Milo Taibi

Now in the second year of a five-year, $82MM pact, Cleveland big man Tristan Thompson balked at criticisms that he hasn’t lived up to his contract. “I earned my money,” Thompson told Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “LeBron’s not my agent. I earned my money doing what I do; you can ask anyone around the league. I opened doors for other guys. It’s a business, and you get paid what the market value is for you. I got my money and opened up doors for other guys that play hard and do the little things.”

While Thompson certainly hasn’t been a hindrance to the 32-14 Cavs, his numbers aren’t what they were in 2012 and 2013. Thompson has averaged 7.5 points with 9.7 rebounds through 46 games while shooting a career-worst 49.3% from the free-throw line. For what it’s worth, Thompson still has LeBron James‘ stamp of approval. “He’s the one rim protector that we have, and we need him to continue to do that,” James said. “You know he’s going to clean glass, but when he’s active like that — trying to get shots blocked and things of that nature, it helps us a lot.”

Other goings-on in the ‘Land…

Kevin Love was removed from the second half of Cleveland’s 107-91 win over OKC on Sunday, and did not make the trip for tonight’s match-up with Dallas. Love, who suffered lower-back spasms in a 12-minute outing, will remain in Cleveland to undergo an MRI. “It’s nothing to play with,” James told Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “It’s a terrible feeling when your back is hurt. It just limits you more than anything. I know it’s very frustrating for him because he puts in a lot of work. He’s in the weight room all the time, and he’s doing his thing to keep his body in shape, then this is happening to him, so it’s very frustrating.”
Cleveland will use their “next man up” mentality without Love against the Mavericks tonight. “Guys have got to step up. This has been our mantra since we first all came together, ‘The Next Man Up,'” Thompson told Matthew Florjancic of WKYC. “We hope Kevin gets well, takes care of his body because we’re going to need him for the long haul. Whatever he has to do to get to 100 percent, that’s the most important thing because we need Kev for the long haul. Everyone wants to push it through, but if you’re hurt or you’re not well, get right because we’re going to need the big fella.” With Love sidelined, Channing Frye appears to be the most logical candidate to receive a bump in court time.
The Cavaliers were among the teams featured in Bobby Marks’ NBA trade guide on The Vertical. To their detriment, Cleveland has only $750K to offer in a trade, and just one second-round pick over the next four years. GM David Griffin has displayed an aggressive nature on the trade market, Marks notes, having completed three January trades since joining the team in 2014. Marks predicts Cleveland will swoop in to sign veterans bought out after the trade deadline.

Central Notes: Marjanovic, Ellenson, Thompson

November 12th, 2016 at 10:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

Boban Marjanovic didn’t play at all in his return to San Antonio Friday, which has been a familiar story in his time with the Pistons, writes Rod Beard of The Detroit News. The 7’3″ Serbian came to Detroit this summer when the Spurs elected not to match a three-year, $21MM offer sheet. He has gotten off the bench in just four of the team’s first nine games and is averaging 4.5 minutes in those. Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy said the team wants to see Marjanovic become more aggressive offensively. “In the preseason, he fit well. He’s a very good offensive player and highly skilled,” Van Gundy said. “He’s unselfish, almost to a fault. There’s times he could use his size and be dominant down there offensively, but he really likes to pass the ball — which promotes good team play — but at the same time, we want him to use his offensive skills.”

There’s more tonight from the Central Division:

Van Gundy is closely monitoring the progress of rookies Henry Ellenson and Michael Gbinije, who were sent to the D-League during the Pistons’ western road trip, Beard notes in the same story. The organization wanted them both to get expanded playing time, at least 30 minutes per night, during their time in Grand Rapids. Ellenson was told to focus on his defensive development. “He knows [defense] is his ticket to getting on the floor [with the Pistons],” Van Gundy said. “He’s very confident, as we are, in his offensive skills.”
Tyronn Lue‘s lineup juggling is resulting in fewer fourth quarter minutes for Tristan Thompson, writes Jason Lloyd of The Akron Beacon Journal. Lue still recognizes Thompson’s value as a defender, but he wants to have more shooting on the floor at the end of games, so Kevin Love has been playing center alongside Channing Frye.
The Pacers’ 4-6 start may be a result of all the roster changers over the offseason, according to Jordan J. Wilson of The Indianapolis Star. Indiana traded for two new starters in Jeff Teague and Thaddeus Young and added Al Jefferson, Aaron Brooks and Kevin Seraphin as free agents. The team also hired a new coach in Nate McMillan. “We’re trying to figure out how to play with one another,” Paul George said. “We’ve got guys who don’t want to step on guys’ toes. It might call for that at this point. We need guys to step up and be confident.”

Cavs Notes: James, Point Guards, Thompson

October 7th, 2016 at 7:50pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Dwyane Wade doesn’t believe it’s possible for LeBron James to surpass Michael Jordan’s legacy, Nick Friedell of ESPN.com passes along. “The only thing you can do is tie it,” Wade said. “You can’t go past it. How can you? That’s as great as it gets, man. The only thing you can do, like I said, is be A-1, A-B. There’s no way higher.” Wade added that he and James have never discussed the legacy comparison.

Here’s more from Cleveland:

The Cavs needs to improve their backup point guard position in order to give themselves a better shot at repeating as champs, Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com opines. Kay Felder and DeAndre Liggins are currently backing up Kyrie Irving.
With the Cavs in need of point guard depth, Norris Cole could be an option, Joe Vardon of Northeast Ohio Media Group speculates. The Cavs like Felder, but they are hesitant to give the rookie a major role too soon, which could open up the door for Cole. Vardon also names Mario Chalmers as a possibility.
Tristan Thompson will miss the next two preseason games because of a sore left foot, freelance journalist Chris Haynes reports. Thompson has played in 370 straight regular season games, which currently leads the league.

Central Notes: Jackson, Thompson, George

November 28th, 2015 at 1:00pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Pistons point guard Reggie Jackson‘s departure from Oklahoma City last season wasn’t a clean break-up, and his former teammates Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook were candid in expressing their displeasure with Jackson taking his desire to depart the Thunder public, Royce Young of ESPN.com recounts. After Friday night’s victory over Detroit, Durant made some interesting comments regarding Jackson’s standing on the Pistons, Young notes. When asked about the job the Thunder did guarding center Andre Drummond, Durant said, “Steven Adams did a great job on their best player, and Andre Roberson did a great job on their second-best player in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Russ did his job.”

Jackson, who was booed mightily by the Oklahoma City crowd, responded by saying, “I love to be hated. It’s flattering, the greatest honor of them all. It’s love and spite all at the same time. They wouldn’t boo me if I didn’t do anything and build some memories here,” the ESPN scribe relays.

Here’s more from out of the Central Division:

Cavs big man Tristan Thompson, a native Canadian, was rumored to be a target of the Raptors if he was unable to agree to a long-term deal with Cleveland over the summer, but the power forward says that he didn’t consider the possibility of joining Toronto during his contract impasse, Jason Lloyd of The Akron Beacon Journal writes. “I never thought about it,” Thompson said. “My whole thing was to focus on getting better and whenever my situation was handled, my business was handled, that’s when I was going to get back on the court. Whenever it was, so be it. I’m glad it’s here in Cleveland.” Lloyd also noted that Thompson doesn’t appear to be overly motivated to play for a Canadian-based team, with Thompson adding, “As a kid I always watched the Raptors growing up and was a fan of the Raptors. When we were in the playoffs our first couple years I definitely cheered them on … But I’m a Cleveland guy and that’s where my heart’s at.”
Derrick Rose, who knows a thing or two about recovering from a serious injury, is amazed at Pacers swingman Paul George‘s return to an All-Star level this season, Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com writes. “It’s been great,” Rose said of watching George. “If anything, it gives kids, it gives people that are going through the same situation hope because who would have known that he would have come back this way? Seems like he’s a better player. He’s understanding the game a little bit more, he’s putting the team on his back in situations where he doesn’t let them go and be down big, so he’s taking the right shots. I think it’s helping him grow as a basketball player.“

Central Notes: Drummond, Thompson, Monroe

November 20th, 2015 at 8:59am CST by Chuck Myron

Andre Drummond‘s game has taken another leap this season, and while the challenge for him is to become more consistent, the soon-to-be restricted free agent is impressing many, including Pistons owner Tom Gores, as Rod Beard of the Detroit News examines.

“He’s developing incredibly and I’m not surprised. We knew it from the first time he got on the floor,” Gores said. “He worked so hard this summer to develop some other skills and right now it’s showing on the floor and his character is reflecting on the team. You can talk about it, but then you have to do it. Andre’s doing it and he’s also developing great chemistry among all the players. You can say it or you can do it.”

Gores already referred to Drummond as a “max player” this spring, and with the Pistons and Drummond working in concert when they tabled extension discussions with the idea of allowing the team more cap flexibility in the summer, it doesn’t appear as though the big man’s free agency will carry much suspense. See more from the Central:

Consistency might be the last hurdle for Drummond, but it’s a hallmark for Tristan Thompson, who played his 300th consecutive game Thursday, not counting the preseason games he missed while holding out this fall for his new deal with the Cavs. Thompson’s willingness to always be ready helped endear him to LeBron James, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com.
The decision to trade Brandon Knight didn’t clear the way for the Bucks to lay a five-year, $70MM contract on Khris Middleton, as Jason Kidd suggested, as much as it gave them the opportunity to sign Greg Monroe, argues Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post. Milwaukee struggled offensively last season after shedding Knight, but bringing Monroe in as the remedy to that has knocked a hole in the team’s defense, Bontemps points out. Kidd remains confident, chalking the poor play up to the team’s youth, Bontemps notes.
Free agent signee Monta Ellis is bouncing back after a slow start and the remade Pacers roster has the look of a playoff team, even if Indiana isn’t in 50-win territory, opines Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders.

Central Notes: Parker, Thompson, Jones

November 2nd, 2015 at 4:12pm CST by Chuck Myron

Jabari Parker will return Wednesday for his first game since he tore his left ACL in December, as Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported (Twitter links), and as the Bucks confirm. It appeared the team was concerned he’d have to remain out until late this month, but he’s instead a go this week for Milwaukee, which has started the season a disappointing 0-3. Tyler Ennis will also make his season debut for the Bucks in that game after dealing with a shoulder injury. See more from the Central Division:

Tristan Thompson hinted to TNT’s David Aldridge that he was on board with sitting out all of this season if it was necessary for him to get a fair deal, as Aldridge writes within his Morning Tip column for NBA.com. The power forward finally re-signed with the Cavs on a five-year, $82MM deal late last month after lengthy negotiations. “I didn’t worry about it,” Thompson said. “Obviously I love playing the game of basketball. That’s what God blessed me to do. At the same time, playing in the NBA, it’s a business side to it. At the end of the day, myself, Rich [Paul], Mark [Termini], we handled it the way we felt best. We weren’t worried. If the deal gets done, it gets done. If not, so be it, sit out the whole season [and] work on my game, and just get better. It was no wondering if it would get done, or nervousness. If I had it to do over again, I’d do it the same way — no regrets.”
The Cavs have named former player and Termini client Damon Jones an assistant coach for their D-League team, notes Chris Reichert of Upside & Motor (Twitter link). Cleveland originally planned to have Jones, who served last year as a shooting consultant for both the Cavs and their D-League team, move into that full-time D-League role for last season, but he wasn’t interested, according to Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal (on Twitter).
The Pacers have assigned Rakeem Christmas and Shayne Whittington to their D-League affiliate, the team announced. Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star first reported the moves would take place (Twitter link). They’re the first players any NBA team has assigned to the D-League this season, and the first that Indiana has ever assigned to its new one-to-one D-League affiliate.

Central Notes: Granger, Noah, Thompson

October 24th, 2015 at 5:14pm CST by Eddie Scarito

It’s all but inevitable that the Pistons will waive Danny Granger, coach/executive Stan Van Gundy admits, according to Keith Langlois of Pistons.com (Twitter link). They’re exploring trade options in the interim, according to Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press, who cautions that it doesn’t mean a deal will happen (Twitter links). Granger has a fully guaranteed salary of $2,170,465, one of 16 full guarantees on the Pistons.

Here’s the latest from the Central Division:

The Pacers‘ new D-League affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, officially hired Harrison Greenberg as Director of Basketball Operations, the team announced.
LeBron James is pleased that Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert is willing to venture deep into luxury tax territory in an effort to put together a contending team, Joe Vardon of The Northeast Ohio Media Group writes. “It’s a sign that he’ll do anything to help us go out there and perform,” James said of Gilbert’s spending. “I’m not comparing us to the New York Yankees, because we’re not, we’re so nowhere near compared to the New York Yankees, but they have one of the highest payrolls every year,” James continued. “They don’t win it every year but that’s what they believe in. They believe in going out there and getting the best talent that can play. When you have an ownership group or a collection round that believes what it’s going to take, then money is not an object.“
While Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg has yet to make it official, center Joakim Noah is likely to begin the season coming off the bench, writes Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com. “We’ll start the same way,” Hoiberg said. “If it looks good, [that’s] a pretty good chance that’s the way we’ll go on opening night.” When asked about Noah’s response to the potential move, Hoiberg said, “We’ve talked. We talk about everything that he’s done. He was great, he was excited about playing with Taj Gibson last game. I think those two have a very good chemistry out there together. And [Noah] was the one that talked to me about that, about how well he feels he and Taj play together out there on the floor.”
Tristan Thompson is glad to be back with the Cavaliers, but does maintain that he was prepared to miss regular season time if a contract agreement had not been reached, Chris Fedor of The Northeast Ohio Media Group relays. “I love playing basketball,” Thompson said. “That’s my love, that’s my passion. But with this business it comes with a business side of it. For me, that’s how I approach it. Business is business and my approach is if a deal gets done before the season that’s great, but if not then so be it. I’m not a rookie no more. I’m a veteran. It’s not something to take lightly. It’s a serious matter.“

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Fallout From/Reaction To Tristan Thompson Deal

October 22nd, 2015 at 3:46pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Cavs began with an offer to Tristan Thompson that was about $70MM and only moved up to $80MM roughly six weeks ago, Terry Pluto of the Plain Dealer hears. Reports that they were close to an $80MM deal on the first day of free agency were off-base, according to Pluto, who recounts the motivations for all parties involved, including the promise that Dan Gilbert made to LeBron James that he would spent to help the team win.

Here’s more regarding Thompson and the Cavs:

Cleveland slightly increased its offer in the days leading up to the deal, a source told Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal.
Neither side in the Thompson negotiations came out a clear winner as both player and team stand to reap value from the deal, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com.
DeMarcus Cousins appeared to criticize Cleveland’s outlay, taking to Twitter with the message “How much???,” a public statement that was “thoroughly foolish” and “thoroughly revealing” as labor negotiations between owners and the players union loom, McMenamin argues in the same piece.
Thompson’s new deal illustrates just how willing Gilbert and the Cavaliers organization is to spend money in pursuit of an NBA title, Chris Haynes of The Northeast Ohio Media Group writes.
With a new labor agreement on the horizon in 2017, there is an excellent chance that Cleveland will have the opportunity to waive Thompson via the amnesty provision if his contract turns out to be an albatross, writes Tom Ziller of SBNation. Ziller notes that amnesty clauses are generally a part of new labor agreements, which would provide the team a means to clear Thompson’s cap hit off its books, though it would still be responsible for any remaining salary owed to the power forward.
Keeping James happy played a large role in the Cavs signing Thompson, which is an added benefit to retaining the young big man, since James has the ability to opt out of his deal after the season is completed, Ken Berger of CBSSports.com writes.