Rockets did ‘due diligence’ on Tristan Thompson, who won’t be bought out

According to Yahoo’s Chris Haynes, the Rockets did their ‘due diligence’ on Cavs center Tristan Thompson ahead of today’s trade deadline, but a deal won’t happen. Haynes also reports that Thompson won’t be bought out if he is still a Cavalier after the deadline.

The latter news matters most, so let’s start there. The Athletic reported earlier this week that Thompson’s camp wanted him out of Cleveland, but apparently not enough where he’d seek a buyout from the team. It’s still possible he’ll get traded. But if he doesn’t, he’ll stick around. That also matters for next when Thompson hits free agency, as it means the Cavs (or whomever trade for him) will get his Bird Rights.

As for a Rockets deal, their roster is lacking the right mix of contracts to match Thompson’s salary for this year. It’s a nice landing spot in theory, but it doesn’t really offer the Cavs enough to do a deal.