Cavaliers officially sign Tristan Thompson

The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed center Tristan Thompson, Cavaliers President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman announced today from Cleveland Clinic Courts.         

“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 Altman. “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.”

Thompson (6-9, 254) played a vital role during the Cavaliers’ four straight NBA Finals appearances from 2015-2018, including the franchise’s first-ever NBA championship in 2016.

He returns to Cleveland, where he spent his first nine NBA seasons (2011-2020), appearing in 619 regular season games (429 starts) with averages of 9.4 points on .518 shooting from the field and 8.7 rebounds in 28.1 minutes per contest.

Selected by the Cavaliers as the No. 4 pick in the 2011 NBA Draft and at the time was the highest-drafted Canadian-born player in league history, Thompson still ranks among the franchise’s 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).

His 447 consecutive regular season games played from Feb. 10, 2012, to April 4, 2017, remains the longest streak in Cavaliers history. Additionally, Thompson holds the franchise record for most offensive rebounds in a single season with 306 in 2012-13.