NBA Trade Rumors: Cavs Big Man Move Likely And It's Not Kevin Love

Tristan Thompson is someone the Cleveland Cavaliers allegedly prefer to keep. But if a deal for him comes their way, expect them to study it carefully. Although much of the attention has been on a Kevin Love trade, there are some who believe that the 28-year-old Canadian would be an easier asset to deal off.

Sam Amico of Sports Illustrated pointed out how Thompson would be coveted by other teams. He does not need the ball in his hands to make an impact. Aside from that, he has shown determination and/or leadership qualities any NBA team would love to have.

“Thompson is coveted by contenders because he doesn’t need the ball to make an impact. Instead, he often gets the ball off the backboard and willingly hands it to the stars," he said.

His age, at 28, also aligns with a prime factor that other NBA teams are seriously considering. Most teams are emphasizing on a youth movement, making Thompson a plausible addition to younger cagers on the rise.

This season, the 6-foot-9 big man is doing fairly well. In 39 games, he is averaging 12.8 points, 10.5 assists, and 2.2 assists. These are better than his career-high numbers according to Basketball-Reference.com.

As far as his contract is concerned, the one-time NBA champion is in the last year of his $82 million five-year deal which he signed in 2016. He is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer per Spotrac.

And while Thompson looms as an interesting player to trade away, it may all depend if the Cavs have a change of heart. In a previous post, it was reported how Cleveland planned to keep the fourth overall pick of the 2011 NBA Draft beyond the current season. This is despite the fact that Thompson said at the time that he was not ready to discuss a contract extension.

“I’m not thinking about that right now,” Thompson said.

The Cavaliers are 12-29 in the NBA Eastern Conference and making the postseason seems daunting. Regardless, it is a fact that the team is in a rebuilding phase. As to whether he (and Love) are still around before the 2020-21 NBA season stars is anyone's guess.