Former Lakers Veteran Gets Another Chance on Eastern Conference Contender

The peak of free agency and offseason in the NBA is over but teams are still making moves to upgrade their roster ahead of the 2024-25 season. Well, some teams are. If you are the Los Angeles Lakers GM Rob Pelinka, you are twiddling your thumbs.

Even though most capable free agents signed with their teams already, there are still some available players who still have some gas left in the tank. One of those players was former Laker Tristan Thompson. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, however, he is now off the market as well. The veteran big man just re-signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers on a one-year deal.

NBA News: Tristan Thompson Re-Signs With the Cleveland Cavaliers

Thompson spent last season with the Cavs and was a competent backup behind Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. He provided them with some physicality, intensity, and rebounding chops in limited minutes. At the same time, he was suspended for 25 games by the NBA for violating the league's substance policy, leaving his team short-handed in the meantime.

The 33-year-old spent the end of the 2022-23 season with the Lakers and played a minor but important role on the Conference Finals team. He was a late-season addition to the roster as the team saw him as a potential Nikola Jokic defender for the playoffs. He was used for those purposes in the Nuggets series and managed to hold his own despite the Lakers getting swept.

It's safe to say that the Lakers could have used him last year as he would have likely done a better job than Christian Wood and Jaxson Hayes as the backup center. Considering his extensive postseason experience- having won a ring with LeBron James in 2016- and his locker-room presence, he is a good veteran to have around for any title contender.

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