The NBA free agent market is like the real estate market in at least one way.
A player, much like a property, is worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it.
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That's the only construct under which paying $82 million for Tristan Thompson, a guy who is the definitely the fifth-best player on his team (behind LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love and J.R. Smith) and maybe the sixth-best (depending on which version of Iman Shumpert shows up) makes any sense.
That's what the Cavs did when they inked the former Texas standout to a five-year deal last October after a negotiation that included more song and dance than a night out at the club.
On the surface, the numbers don't even add up. In five NBA seasons, Thompson has never averaged a double-double, and was only named a full-time starter again less than a month ago. But when you dig a little deeper, you'll discover a quintessence in the native Canadian that could culminate in Cleveland winning its first pro sports title of the modern era.
Friday, Thompson connected on just one of six field goal attempts while scoring a ho-hum seven points as the top-seeded Cavs came back — or as James put it in a postgame interview with ESPN — "hit the reset button" to down the No. 4 Hawks 121-108. The win helped his team take a commanding 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals. But he amassed 13 or more rebounds for the second time in the series, snatching down a baker's dozen off the glass.
His performance included a game-high nine offensive boards, three more than the Hawks' entire team. Atlanta was nearly doubled up, being outrebounded 55-28. It's not only that he brings his lunch pale to the paint with him every night, it's when he does it. Unlike Wednesday night's Midwest Massacre, when the Cavs hit an NBA-record 25 three-pointers in a blowout victory, the James Gang trailed by as many as 11 early in the third and six, heading into the fourth.
A Thompson offensive rebound, negated an opportunity for the Hawks to go up double-digits when it led to an Irving three-pointer with 7:43 to play as the Cavs pull to within six at 74-68. It was a potential six-point swing, and it helped keep his team in the game long enough for it to show its true quality late, besting the Hawks by 19 to close out the game and most likely the series.
Thompson, once the fourth overall pick in the NBA Draft, has long since accepted his role as a role player. Along with increasing his earning potential as the NBA's fourth-leading offensive rebounder this season at 4.5 per game, he's undoubtedly extended his days in a league where the average career lasts less than five years. It's also made the Cavs the only realistic threat to the Warriors and Spurs east of the Mississippi. On a squad that includes three alpha dogs (James, Irving and Love) and multiple shooters (Smith, Shumpert, Channing Frye, Matthew Dellavedova and Richard Jefferson) in its rotation, you need a guy who knows he won't get a play called for him and is perfect fine with it.
Thompson, whose agent is James' friend Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, might be the four-time MVP's closest friend on the team. That's a great reference to have on your resume and a fact that goes a long way to help camaraderie off the court and chemistry on it.
They don't make any awards for that, but it could help the Cavs lay hold of the Larry O'Brien trophy come June.
To paraphrase former No Limit Records rapper Mystikal, Thompson might not be anything to fans and foes such as All-Star DeMarcus Cousins, but he's all that to the Cavs.