Getty Kemba Walker #8 of the Boston Celtics celebrates with Tristan Thompson #13 and Daniel Theis #27.
Now that the Kevin Durant saga is over, for the time being, the Brooklyn Nets can now focus on filling out the rest of their roster. Currently, the team only has one pure center right now on its roster – Nicolas Claxton. It may be in their best interest to add another one. Michael Scotto of HoopsHype listed an option they are keeping their eye on – former Boston Celtics center Tristan Thompson.
Sources: The Brooklyn Nets are looking to add a veteran backup center. Tristan Thompson is among the candidates to keep an eye on. Nets also have exploratory interest in forward Markieff Morris, @hoopshype can confirm. @NetsDaily was first on Morris news.
“The Nets are looking to add a veteran backup center, league sources told HoopsHype. One free-agent center to keep an eye on is Tristan Thompson, HoopsHype has learned,” Scotto reported.
Scotto then added how Thompson’s skills and experience with some of the Nets’ players could make a beneficial addition to their team.
“Thompson’s rebounding, energy, locker room presence, and championship pedigree are all characteristics that would potentially fit in well with Brooklyn’s roster and championship aspirations this season. The 31-year-old veteran played with Irving for six seasons and Harris for two seasons in Cleveland.”
If Thompson agrees to join the Nets, they will have been his sixth team in the last three years.
Thompson’s Time in Boston
After spending nine years with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Thompson signed with the Celtics during the brief 2020 NBA Offseason. In his lone season with the Celtics, Thompson averaged 7.6 points and 8.1 rebounds in 23.6 minutes a game while shooting 51.8 percent from the field.
Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer reported that Thompson was “not loved” by the players in the Celtics locker room, although Thompson refuted that rumor shortly afterward.
“I laughed. In my 10 years of playing basketball, I don’t there’s one teammate that doesn’t like me in the locker room. I know that was full of s***.”
Multiple Celtics teammates also vocalized their support for Thompson after the rumor came out, including Jaylen Brown and Kemba Walker.
The Celtics relied heavily on Thompson during the 2021 NBA Playoffs. In their first-round matchup against the Nets, Thompson averaged 10.4 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks in 26.4 minutes a game while shooting 58.8 percent from the field.
Thompson’s standout game for the Celtics came during Game 3, the Celtics’ lone victory, where he put up 19 points and 13 rebounds.
Thompson’s time in Boston would prove to be short-lived. After the Celtics re-acquired Al Horford, there was a logjam of players in their frontcourt, which led to Thompson being traded away that very summer.
Thompson’s Performance Last Season
Thompson bounced around quite a bit during the 2021-22 season. The Celtics traded him to the Sacramento Kings in a three-way deal with the Atlanta Hawks during the offseason.
Thompson played 30 games for the Kings, where he averaged 6.2 points and 3.4 rebounds while shooting 50.3 percent from the field. Thompson was then included in the mega-deal between the Kings and the Indiana Pacers involving Tyrese Haliburton and Domantas Sabonis, among others.
Thompson played four games for the Pacers, but because they were out of the playoff picture, there was no need for them to keep him around, so they waived him. After Thompson cleared waivers, the Chicago Bulls picked him up to backup Nikola Vucevic.
Thompson did not have that big of a role for the Bulls during their first-round playoff matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks. While he played all five games, he averaged 0.8 points and 1.6 rebounds in 7.6 minutes a night.