Cavs: Mapping out a deal for Tristan Thompson to the Wizards

The Washington Wizards are reportedly interested in Cleveland Cavaliers big man Tristan Thompson, and it would appear there’s a logical trade scenario that’d be mutually beneficial.

At this point, the Cleveland Cavaliers need to start getting busy with the 2020 NBA trade deadline Thursday at 3 p.m.

The Cavs currently have big man Tristan Thompson as their key expiring trade chip, who is due to make $18.5 million in 2019-20, and expiring big John Henson I’d imagine could be a nice piece for teams looking to make a postseason push/solidify themselves.

As far as realistic salary fillers/good locker room veterans, guards Matthew Dellavedova and Brandon Knight could also seemingly be on the move soon, though how much both would get playing time elsewhere is uncertain.

Along with the other expirings, big man Ante Zizic‘s contract is up following this season, too, considering his fourth-year option was reportedly not picked up early this season, but with a vestibular condition reportedly sidelining him indefinitely, I’d imagine the Wine and Gold retain him through the deadline.

Recapping the TT situation

Anyhow, Thompson again appears to be the Cavs’ key trade piece that they need to move in the next day or so, and with Thompson/his camp reportedly believing it’s a “priority” for TT to be moved by the deadline, according to The Athletic‘s Joe Vardon, Cleveland general manager Koby Altman and the front office needs to get a deal done to avoid potential further distraction for the Cavs.

Vardon reported that Thompson previously was interested in a contract extension with the Cavaliers, but now that is not the case. Thompson is also reportedly doubtful on Wednesday at the Oklahoma City Thunder due to a sore right quad, which caused him to miss Monday’s game against the New York Knicks, too, but with the trade request news, him likely not playing again is far from shocking.

Now we’ll recap a few reported trade suitors for TT.

A Thompson suitor recap

As far as a few trade suitors for Thompson, it was previously reported that the Atlanta Hawks were interested in Thompson as a fallback option if Atlanta wasn’t able to land Clint Capela, but Houston did early on Wednesday.

There was a reported four-team trade in which the Hawks acquired Capela from the Houston Rockets, and also involved the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and also ESPN’s Bobby Marks and ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.

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Now Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor suggested that the Rockets could be a potential suitor for Thompson following them trading away Capela, which is understandable, but even with Houston reportedly having “$12 million in cap space” that could enable them to extend the deal and maybe involve the Cavs, Houston, as Fedor also noted, doesn’t have near salary-matching.

I don’t see the Rockets being a trade partner for Thompson, really, factoring in that, and involving other clubs isn’t the simplest scenario, but perhaps John Henson, who is leading Cleveland in blocks with 1.3 this season, per NBA.com, and who is due to make $9.7 million this season, could be a decent option.

The Athletic‘s Kelly Iko reported on Wednesday that the Rockets are currently “closing in on a deal for a center,” and in contact with two Eastern Conference teams regarding that, and also noted that along with a center, Houston is “willing to take on additional salary in exchange for assets.”

To me, that sounds more along the lines of Myles Turner of the Indiana Pacers, who has popped up in trade rumors and is due to make $18 million each season through 2022-23, or perhaps the Detroit Pistons’ Andre Drummond, who could perhaps consider opting into a $28.8 million player option for next year, but I don’t see Drummond passing on free agency this offseason and I don’t see the Pistons giving up future assets there so I’m not sure.

Neither the Pistons or Cavs are teams that should part with assets, quite frankly, so I’m hesitant to see Houston as a landing spot for Thompson, but of course, a three-team deal could theoretically happen; Turner to Houston seems feasible, however, also taking into account that Turner is both a rim protector/runner, and can space the floor.

Albeit, the jury’s plenty out there still.

Additionally, Sports Illustrated‘s Chris Mannix hit on the LA Clippers reportedly have some interest in Thompson’s services, and also “kicked the tires” on Kevin Love, but added that Love’s not a preferred target, seemingly with Love due to make $91.5 million these next three years.

Love is reportedly likely to stay in Cleveland through the deadline, too, with Cleveland seemingly accepting they won’t find a trade partner for him by the deadline unless they are absolutely blown away, according to Wojnarowski on a recent episode of his podcast, The Woj Pod, for reference.

Adding Thompson for the Clippers would seem to help them for postseason time, as Fedor, who suggested that Maurice Harkless ($11.1 million) and Rodney McGruder ($4.8 million) could be pieces send over for Thompson, and the Clips’ 2020 first-round pick. That being said, even though Fedor previously reported that the Cleveland Cavaliers want a first-round pick for Thompson, I’m still unsure if LA believes they could get Thompson in exchange, and also retain him following the season on a team-friendly deal.

Thompson wanting to be dealt has plenty to do with him/his camp valuing Thompson’s Bird rights, and would LA give Thompson bigger money than other teams in 2020 free agency? That’d be hard to believe to me, but I could be wrong, of course.

The Wiz might be the most logical trade partner for TT

The most logical trade partner I believe at this point for TT’s services appears to be the Washington Wizards, a squad that Fedor also mentioned as a possible landing spot for the big man.

Along with that, on The Lowe Post pod, hosted by ESPN’s Zach Lowe, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported that the Wiz have interest in Thompson, and Candace Buckner of the Washington Post had this to add as well.

Now it was also reported by The Athletic‘s David Aldridge on Tuesday that the Wizards do not have much interest in Thompson, because a potential re-signing of TT could be “quite problematic” when it comes to bringing back Davis Bertans. Bertans has had 15.0 points per game and shot 42.9 percent from three-point range this season, as noted by Basketball Reference, and really, shattered expectations.

That being said, as Fedor hit on, with the Wizards in striking distance of the East’s eighth seed, Thompson, who has had a career year on the offensive end and played good defense this season despite playing with so many young players, could definitely help Washington.

The Wiz have the league’s worst defensive rating and rebounding clip, per NBA.com, and TT could help from the jump; in addition, that would play right into Sports Illustrated‘s Sam Amico noting how Thompson has been “linked to Washington” and also the Clippers, for what it’s worth.

Plus, as Fedor also hit on, with so few teams having ability to be real impact free agent players in free agency this offseason, Thompson likely won’t have much of a market. Plus, the Wizards I would imagine, even with having TT’s Bird rights after a potential trade, would be able to bring back Thompson, with the team rebuilding, I’d think at a much more reasonable price tag than his previous five-year, $82 million contract, and maybe Bertans could still be compensated very well.

The 28-year-old Thompson, with John Wall hopefully healthy next season after a reported Achilles rupture, alongside Bradley Beal, could be a huge piece for Washington still in coming years, and TT could bring a leadership presence, too.

A realistic deal

Now to a logical trade scenario which works on Trade NBA, for reference.

Initially, I didn’t think the Wizards would’ve been a realistic trade partner at first, especially factoring in that Washington doesn’t likely want to give up future draft capital, as Bullets Forever’s Albert Lee emphasized, but given that Thompson could be a tone-setter for the Wizards’ frontline in coming years, I could feasibly see Washington giving up two second-rounders for Thompson.

Along with that, though I’m sure the Wizards wouldn’t love the idea of giving away picks, in my case their own most favorable 2022 second-rounder via the Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons or Los Angeles Lakers and theirs, via the Bulls in 2023, Washington does have a first-round pick in each year for the foreseeable future.

That could still enable them to get a potentially generational prospect in a 2022 NBA Draft that is set up to be absolutely loaded with talent, also including that it will likely allow for high school players to come into the draft as well.

Moreover, this is the kind of deal I could see the Wiz doing for a proven big man that you don’t have to run offense for and will defend pretty well, at any rate. I get that Washington is set to have Thomas Bryant signed through the next two seasons as well, but a 1-2 5 man punch between Thompson and Bryant could prove to bode really well for the Wizards and I could see that intriguing them.

Anyhow, it’s previously been reported by Fedor that the Cavs aren’t realistically looking to take back just the likes of two seconds for Thompson, but Altman and company can’t take a chance here.

In terms of the return, Ian Mahinmi, though he could be a viable starting 5 for a few months as a quasi-rim protector on a rebuilding team, as he’s put up a career-best 1.3 blocks per game, per Basketball Reference, it’s about near-salary matching.

Mahinmi is due to make $15.45 million this season, and the 33-year-old could at least be a good locker room presence and allow Collin Sexton, Darius Garland, Cedi Osman and others to get some separation with screens as the veteran big is at least 6-foot-11.

Isaac Bonga, though his 4.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game don’t jump out, is a player that is only making $1.4 million and signed through next season, before he could hit restricted free agency, could be a piece that provides Cleveland head coach John Beilein some size on the wing at 6-foot-8. Washington I’d still imagine would be willing to part ways with Bonga, too, anyhow.

Bonga, though he does definitely need to get much stronger, as he’s only listed at 180 pounds, is a pretty solid perimeter defender on the wing. Bonga, even with him not being a viable 4 option, even with him playing there a bunch this year in small-ball lineups, is still a player that could develop into a solid rotational piece for the Cleveland Cavaliers next season.

Plus, considering the team is rebuilding and needs all kinds of help in terms of wing defenders with legitimate length, I could see Bonga getting meaningful playing time some the rest of 2019-20 to allow Kevin Porter Jr. to play more at the 2, and Bonga would fit into a reserve unit that likes to push the pace a bit when they get chances.

Bonga, if he plays relatively well, could be a nice find for the Cavs, as he’s only 20 years of age.

Anyway, we’ll see what happens with Thompson in the next day or so. The Cavaliers would be foolish to not move TT at this point.