CLEVELAND, Ohio — Tristan Thompson’s tenure with the Cleveland Cavaliers has come to an end.
Thompson agreed to a two-year, $19 million deal with the Boston Celtics on Saturday night, league sources tell cleveland.com. The Celtics will sign Thompson using the full mid-level exception — an offer that came in higher than Cleveland’s, sources say.
Early Saturday morning, there was a bit of optimism inside Cleveland Clinic Courts, especially as potential Thompson suitors started to dwindle. But Boston target Paul Millsap chose Denver instead, creating a path for Thompson to join the Eastern Conference contender.
“Going from being a fan to an opponent and then a teammate, Tristan has always been one of the good guys,” Larry Nance Jr. told cleveland.com. “His jersey deserves to hang in the rafters.”
Thompson was the No. 4 pick of the 2011 draft, selected three picks after Kyrie Irving.
In nine years with the Cavs, Thompson averaged 9.4 points and 8.7 rebounds. He played in 619 regular-season games and 78 more in the postseason, helping the Cavaliers to their lone NBA title in 2016. This past season, Thompson filled a vital leadership role for a young, rebuilding team. He also averaged a double-double, with 12.0 points and 10.1 rebounds.
Thompson leaves Cleveland with the franchise record for consecutive games played. He also ranks top 10 in games played (7th), rebounds (3rd), minutes (8th) and blocks (6th).
With Thompson gone and Matthew Dellavedova an unrestricted free agent, Kevin Love is the lone remaining player from the 2016 championship team.
Yahoo Sports first reported the agreement.
By Chris Fedor, Cleveland.com