Tristan Thompson, Cleveland Cavaliers
It’s not great when the most notable thing you’ve done as an NBA player over the last few years is cheat on a Kardashian, but I think Thompson still has some value. Now that he’s on an expiring deal he should finally have a trade market that opens up if he plays well during the beginning of the year.
Thompson has been a double-double machine for his entire career and has made his mark in several playoff series’ with his hustle plays and rebounding ability. It remains to be seen what version of him we’ll get on the defensive end though.
When Thompson is in shape and active he’s shown flashes of being capable on that end. On the flip side though, he’s also had some moments where he’s nearly unplayable when he can’t stay in front of anyone.
The Cleveland Cavaliers should be motivated to move him too. I’m sure they’ll begin their eventual fire sale by trying to dump Kevin Love, but I can’t imagine anyone in their right mind taking on that contract without getting more assets in return.
This leaves Thompson as the most likely candidate to be shipped out of town. The Cavs are in full rebuild mode and a player like Thompson on an expiring deal gives them a chance to flip him for a potential draft pick from a team in need of some interior depth.