Tristan Thompson made available in trade talks

We are just days away from the trade deadline and things have been quiet for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Last night ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski mentioned that the team is ‘resigned’ to the fact that there is likely no deal for Kevin Love before the deadline. But the team is still in asset accumulation mode and according to Chris Haynes the Cavs have made their other veteran big man available in trade talks.

On Monday Hayes reported that Tristan Thompson has now been made available in trade talks:

The most surprising part of this development is the suggestion that this wasn’t the case before. It’s been reported that both Thompson and the Cavs share some interest in an extension, but given the state of the team that should by no means be Plan A.

Gauging the market for Thompson is the responsible thing to do for this front office. Should a team come along with a first round pick or a worthwhile young player, that should be something the team jumps on.

Brian Windhorst mentioned on the latest Hoop Collective podcast that there are several teams interested and offering multiple second-round picks for Thompson. If that’s the case it shouldn’t be that difficult to drum up some form of a bidding war to get a deal over the finish line.

While having veterans that are committed to the rebuild and mentoring the young Cavs should be a priority moving forward, the most important thing the team must do is asset accumulation. All the leadership in the world also has little impact when you have a disgruntled former star in Kevin Love dealing with his frustration on and off the court.

The team will likely weigh their options and has likely done some talks with Thompson on what he’d be looking for in an extension. If that figure is too high and they anticipate letting him walk, they’d be better off taking the best available offer by Thursday.

Thompson’s jersey will likely be retired someday along with Love, LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. But the team cannot let sentimental value have too much of an impact on future plans.