2) Free agents for Karnisovas, Chicago Bulls to look beyond: Tristan Thompson
The other of the two notable Cavaliers big men on this list that could also be looming free agents this offseason, is the former Texas Longhorn and 6-foot-9 and 255 pound power forward/center Tristan Thompson. The 29-year-old Toronto, Ontario, native from Canada Thompson is a solid piece of a team, and he should land on a contender this offseason.
Unlike Drummond, Thompson is a big man that could offer a lot of value in a potential sixth man role off the bench for a contending team. He’s not a very high usage big man, and he’s a versatile two-way player that is also a solid rebounder. Thompson is just likely to command too much money and a role that the Bulls don’t have available in their rotation right now.
The one-time NBA Champion Thompson played in 57 games during the shortened 2019-20 regular season with the Cavaliers (starting in 51 of them). He averaged 12.0 points per game, 10.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.6 steals, and 0.9 blocks. And Thompson shot 51.2 percent from the field, a much-improved 39.1 percent from beyond the arc, and 61.5 percent from the free-throw line.
Thompson did do a nice job over the course of the last couple of years to expand his offensive game, especially from downtown. He’s a bona fide threat when he’s open from three-point land, and he’s getting better from the free-throw line and as an efficient secondary distributor of the ball from down low. Thompson got just north of $18 million in the final year of his contract. He might get around four or five million less than that this offseason.