Cavaliers' Love: Re-signing Thompson 'should be our No. 1 priority'
Kevin Love believes a new deal for his longtime frontcourt partner should be top of the Cleveland Cavaliers' to-do list whenever the 2020 offseason rolls around.
"Tristan Thompson should be our No. 1 priority. Leader," Love tweeted early Tuesday morning.
With the Cavaliers' season ending in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Thompson has essentially completed his five-year, $82-million contract. The 29-year-old big man will be an unrestricted free agent following the postseason.
Thompson has averaged 9.4 points and 8.7 rebounds in nine NBA seasons while shooting 51.8% from the floor. The Canadian has earned a reputation as one of the league's top offensive rebounders.
As a supporting talent, Thompson helped the LeBron James-led Cavaliers reach four straight NBA Finals from 2015-18, a run that included the first championship in franchise history when Cleveland upset the 73-win Golden State Warriors in 2016.
Thompson, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, is the longest-tenured active player within the Cavaliers organization. He ranks third all time on the team's rebounding leaderboard with 5,393 boards and sits seventh in regular-season appearances (619).