NBA Rumors: Celtics Could Use Thompson If Cavaliers Would Let Him Go

The Boston Celtics managed to perform well, if not better, this season despite losing two proven big men. Al Horford went to the Philadelphia 76ers while Marcus Morris played for the New York Knicks before ending up with the Los Angeles Clippers. Come to the offseason, the Bean Town squad could be looking for more muscle underneath the boards.

Enes Kanter is around but the Turkish big man could opt-out and explore the free-agent market in the offseason. Kanter had a $5 million player option but may try to check out with other teams who could offer him something bigger. Other big men on the Cs end include Daniel Theis, Robert Williams, and Grant Williams.

The Celtics have managed to do well even with these big mean upfront. They are at the third spot of the NBA Eastern Conference with a 43-21 win-loss record. They have already clinched a playoff spot in the East before the league suspended play due to the coronavirus. There is no official word yet on what the league plans to do once basketball action is allowed to resume.

SB Nation suggested that one player the Celtics could target is Tristan Thompson of the Cleveland Cavaliers. The 29-year-old will be one of the high-profile free agents after the 2019-20 season. However, Thompson reiterated that he will only accept offers that are not less than his current one. The Canadian is in the final year of an $82 million deal with the Cavs.

With the contract Thompson is looking for, Celtics' top brass Danny Ainge may need to check out his team's salary budget. Adding the 6-foot-9 forward could be a boost but if the numbers don't add up, Ainge may end up passing and checking out other players to comprise his frontline.

Another thing worth considering is if Thompson is wholeheartedly bent on leaving Cleveland. As mentioned in a previous post, it appears that the 4th overall pick of the 2011 NBA Draft seemed pretty much elated with the Cavs' new culture. He hailed their new head coach, JB Bickerstaff, something that could influence his decision in free agency.

Also, the Cavs mentioned in the past they would love to keep Thompson in two. They have grown fond of the Canadian and appeared ready to re-sign him even with a large-scale deal. If general manager Koby Altman can tweak the team's budget, the Canadian could be still a Cavalier by the time the 2020-21 NBA season starts.