Two Cleveland Cavaliers players who have uncertain futures beyond the upcoming season are center Tristan Thompson and guard Jordan Clarkson, with both likely to enter the NBA free agent market next July.
One new report indicates that the Cavaliers had looked into the possibility of trading one or both of them during this offseason.
Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com answered questions from fans on a number of different topics, including one that asked about possible trades by the Cavaliers before the regular season begins:
“There were points this summer when the front office would have considered dealing either Tristan Thompson or Jordan Clarkson, if not both. Given that both are set to hit free agency in 2020, it’s hard to see either guy being in the team’s long-term plans. The value Cleveland can receive in a deadline swap would outweigh what both can bring on the court. The Cavs need to maximize that value. But, again, that’s more of a conversation for January/February.”
Thompson has played his entire NBA career with the Cavaliers and will be entering his ninth season in the league. For the first six years of his career, he was known for his durability, but injuries over the past two seasons have limited him to a total of 96 regular season games.
The 28-year-old Thompson is set to make $18.5 million in the final year of the five-year, $82 million deal he signed back in 2015. Over the course of his career, his forte has been his rebounding ability, averaging 8.6 boards per contest. However, his career scoring average is just 9.2 points per game, a number that makes the Cavs seemingly unlikely to offer a similar contract.
Clarkson is poised to begin his second full season with the Cavaliers after having been acquired by the Los Angeles Lakers in February 2018. He’s set to make $13.4 million in the last year of his contract that was signed with the Lakers. He had the best season of his career last year and is no doubt looking for a huge increase in salary.
Coming off the bench, Clarkson put up averages of 16.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game during the 2018-19 campaign. His production in those categories this year could help determine if he’ll cost too much for the Cavaliers to retain.
While a potential trade of each player remains on the table, exactly what the Cavaliers can get in return remains a mystery. They have roughly six months to ponder their options, with next February’s trade deadline looming closer.
