Thompson was suspended for 25 games from January to March for a violation related to SPED (steroids and performance-enhancing drugs). Despite the suspension, Thompson averaged 8.7 minutes per game in 10 postseason substitute appearances.

Thompson, selected fourth overall in the 2011 draft, spent his first nine NBA seasons with the Cavaliers. Between 2020 and 2023, he played for the Celtics, Kings, Pacers, Bulls, and Lakers. Last season, he returned to Cleveland, signing a one-year contract with the team and playing 49 games in the 2023-24 season.

“Free agent C Tristan Thompson is finalizing a one-year deal to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers, sources tell ESPN. Thompson has played 10 of his 13 seasons with the Cavs. President Koby Altman and Klutch CEO Rich Paul are finishing up an agreement,” Adrian Wojnarowski wrote on “X” (formerly Twitter).

A different role for Thompson in the Cavs

In the past, Thompson was a mainstay in the Cavs’ starting five and stood out as one of the best rebounders in the league. However, his role was more limited last season. He averaged 3.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in just 11.2 minutes per game during the regular season.

Thompson: Leadership and experience ahead

While Thompson is no longer a player with a significant impact on the court, Wojnarowski notes that the Cavaliers value his leadership. Last month, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com suggested the team was looking for a “veteran who can play and can be a leader in the locker room,” as Thompson was last season.

It appears the Cavs have once again trusted Thompson for that role. However, it is not yet clear if his new contract will be fully guaranteed. In any case, it is likely that it will be a deal for the minimum salary.

With the addition of Thompson, Cleveland currently has 12 players on standard contracts. This number does not include Isaac Okoro, who is still in restricted free agency.

The Lakers did well in the NBA Draft and managed to keep some of their key guys at a very reasonable price, adding more depth to the wings. Even so, GM Rob Pelinka still has some work to do.

Darvin Ham’s team still has one open roster spot left, and according to a report by Jovan Buha of The Athletic, they’re targeting another big to take more pressure off Anthony Davis’ shoulders. However, it’s not like they have some impressive candidates.

NBA Rumors: Lakers Target Mo Bamba Or Tristan Thompson For Final Roster Spot

“L.A. is targeting another big man with its 14th roster spot, according to team sources. They are likely to carry 14 guaranteed contracts into the season, leaving one roster spot open,” wrote Buha. “Mo Bamba, whom the Lakers waived on Thursday, and Tristan Thompson, who joined the team right before their playoff run, remain options to fill that 14th spot, according to league sources.”

To be fair, both Bamba and Thompson have already spent some time — albeit brief — with the team recently, so it would give them some continuity as opposed to working on a whole new project. That makes sense.

But even though it’s the final roster spot and the deal might not even be fully guaranteed, the Lakers could give it a better use, as Thompson should be on his way out of the league and Bamba has rarely been efficient or even healthy.

The upcoming games will be crucial for Los Angeles, who will have to continue finding ways to win without The King on the court. But the good news is they still have an open spot in theirroster.

Of course, it wouldn’t make sense to leave that place empty with so much at stake this season. That’s why the Purple and Gold are reportedly considering to sign a veteran free agent who won a ring with James in the past.

Report: Lakers could sign Tristan Thompson

According to NBA insider Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Los Angeles Lakers are working out centers Tristan Thompson and Tony Bradley, who are both available in the open market.

It’s been a long time since Thompson made headlines for his work on the court, but his addition would certainly be interesting given his connection to James. Before he started to bounce around the league, Thompson was a pivotal member of the Cavaliers team that won the title in 2016.

With Mo Bamba ruled out for several weeks, the Lakers may need to add a center. Only time will tell whether their turnaround late in the season sees them make the playoffs.

Despite what many people think, most of the NBA Championship-contender teams have at least two or three players that help building up chemistry inside the locker room to improve it inside the basketball court. That’s why a team who was close to clinch at least the Conference finals, might need one of the players in this list.

In fact, at least one of the players among this list have already played a rotation role to mantain a certain level, which at the end helps to clinch an NBA Championship or at least a Conference Finals spot. Check out the full list below.

NBA Champs still available in the 2022 NBA Free Agency

This list includes a two-time and four-time NBA Championship winners. But there are Free Agents likeUdonis Haslem who is still available, but he will most likely retire before he finds an option that fits his needs in terms of money and minutes of play.

1. Rajon Rondo

The two-time NBA Champion Rajon Rondo has bounced between several NBA teams since he won his second ring with the Los Angeles Lakers. Although he might be a good player, due to his age a new project might be looking for a younger player. Therefore, the NBA market doesn’t have many options for Rondo yet.

2.Dwight Howard

Dwight Howard wasn’t the player expected for the Los Angeles Lakers last season. Despite he won the NBA Championship with the LA franchise in 2020, the Lakers’ front office are looking for financial wiggle room to acquire better players for the upcoming season.

3.Tristan Thompson

The 2016 NBA Champion bounced between the Sacramento Kings, Indiana Pacers and the Chicago Bulls last season. Therefore, 31-year-old player has to keep looking to stay in the NBA as the options aren’t many for him.

4.Andre Iguodala

Despite many rumors have placed the 4-time NBA Champion Andre Iguodala out of the basketball courts, the 38-year-old player might still have a last chance to stay in the NBA. He could be the missing experienced piece for a Championship-contender locker room.

5.Jordan Nwora

The youngest of this short list, Jordan Nwora was crowned as NBA Champion in his rookie year with the Milwaukee Bucks. Despite the 23-year-old player gained more minutes of play during the last season, he couldn’t managed to get a new deal with the 2021 NBA Champions. However, he still may return to them as he is a restricted free agent.

Thompson has infamously cheated on her multiple times, fathering another woman’s baby, sliding into other girls’ DMs,and constantly being exposed both in social media and by paparazzi.

Nonetheless, Khloe still thinks he’s got plenty of good sides and believes it’s unfair that people focus just on the negative. If anything, she wants everybody to know he’s actually a very good dad.

NBA News: Khloe Kardashian Defends Tristan Thompson Despite Multiple Cheating Scandals

“It’s sad because, like, there’s so many good sides to him as well, but no one gets to see those ’cause they’re all overshadowed by, like, the personal stuff that’s going on between him and I,” Kardashian said in an appearance on the”Not Skinny But Not Fat” podcast.

“A lot of other people in the world who have been through probably similar situations,” Kardashian added.“I doubt I’m the only human being. I hope not. Well, I don’t want anyone to go through that.”

“I want everyone to still have, like, a fair shot at just being happy and having a good life. So I don’t ever encourage anyone to just, like, jump on that bandwagon, but I also think people can have their own feelings and do what they want, but he’s always going to be in my life because of True, and he’s a great dad, and that’s all I really need to focus on is just his relationship with True,” she concluded.

Well, it’s nice to know they get along and keep things civil. At the end of the day, all that matters is that he’s there for their daughter.

However, it looks like the team’s hopes of seeing something different rely on the buyout market. Many people expected the Lakers to pull off a trade before the deadline but the truth is they were not in a great spot to do so.

Besides, Rob Pelinka explained that none of the deals that were on the cards would be helpful in the long term. Still, reports link the Lakers with a possible move for Tristan Thompson if the Indiana Pacers buy him out of his contract.

Tristan Thompson could be a Lakers buyout target

Thompson has recently joined the Pacers as part of a package that saw Domantas Sabonis move to the Sacramento Kings but James Boyd of the Indy Star reports that the Pacers are considering to buyout his contract.

The Lakers do need help at center, given that onlyAnthony Davis – and sometimes LeBron James – can play there on their current roster. According toMichael Scotto of HoopsHype, Thompsoncould be on the Lakers’ radar.

(Via Fadeaway World)

“I’m keeping my eye on Tristan Thompson. He’s a guy that can be a part of a playoff rotation and help a team. The Los Angeles Lakers are a team to keep an eye on should Thompson agree to a buyout with the Indiana Pacers. He certainly has a lot of relationships there, and his rebounding ability would help them.“

Report: The Lakers’ roster would look the same next season

“That’s some of the phrasing I’ve heard. ‘Let’s not make a change to make a change. Let’s make a change when we know it’s going to make us a lot better,’“Ramona Shelburne of ESPN said on the ‘Brian Windhorst & the Hoop Collective’podcast, per SB Nation’s Silver Screen and Roll.“And I’ve even heard the phrasing ‘This is probably going to be the roster next year, too.’

“Now, obviously, the minimum contract guys will change, but I think this is what they’ve got. There’s was a couple of weird signals I’ve seen since that. I don’t think LeBron’s been in a situation where he just gets told “No” flat out very often. Even Dan Gilbert eventually kind of bent.”

Despite all the critics, Russell Westbrook‘s contract wouldn’t be easy to move on, and Pelinka already suggestedthat the Lakers were not going to make a change just to make a change.

The NBA star has been thrown into the spotlight when the Texas personal trainer filed a lawsuit against him a few months ago for child-related expenses while she was pregnant, while Thompson denied being the father.

But, following a paternity test that confirmed it’s his child, he took to Instagram to reveal the news and apologize to Khloe Kardashian, who he cheated again during hisaffair with Nichols.

Tristan Thompson sendsapology message to Khloe Kardashian

“Today, paternity test results reveal that I fathered a child with Maralee Nichols,” Thompson wrote in an Instagram story. “I take full responsibility for my actions. Now that paternity has been established I look forward to amicably raising our son. I sincerely apologize to everyone I’ve hurt or disappointed throughout this ordeal both publicly and privately.

“Khloé, you don’t deserve this,” Thompson began his apology to Kardashian in a separate Instagram story. “You don’t deserve the heartache and humiliation I have caused you,” Thompson wrote. “You don’t deserve the way I have treated you over the years. My actions certainly have not lined up with the way I view you. I have the utmost respect and love for you. Regardless of what you may think. Again, I am so incredibly sorry.”

Maralee Nichols responds to Tristan Thompson’s public apologies

“There was never any doubt that Tristan Thompson was the father of Maralee Nichols’ baby. Tristan made numerous false and defamatory statements and declarations about Maralee over the past few months, and she is taking his contrite statement today in the context of all of those statements,” Nichols’ rep said, as quoted by People.

Tristan first denied Maralee Nichols‘ claims when she sued Thompson for child support and related expenses, claiming he wanted to have a paternity test before admitting anything.

Lamar Odom reacts to Tristan Thompson’s message to Khloe Kardashian

Lamar Odom, divorced from Khloe Kardashian, has apparently weighed in on Tristan Thompson’s infidelity episode towards his ex-wife. The retired basketball player has apparently reacted to a Facebook post about Thompson’s announcement.

“I truly wish nothing but the best for her and I’m hoping we can reconnect and talk one day as friends,” hecommented, according to Instagram account Comments by Celebs.“She is a good person and deserves the world.”

How many kids does Tristan Thompson have?

Commonly known for being a womanizing basketball player, Tristan Thompson has beeninvolved in various cheating episodes while dating Khloe Kardashian. His latest affair now saw him became a father again.

Tristan Thompson has three children. He is the father of five-year-old son Prince withformer partner Jordan Craig, while he and Kardashian are parents tothree-year-old daugther True, and now it was confirmed he’s the father of Maralee Nichols’ baby, born inDecember 2021.

Nichols has set the record straight about the rumors that have been circulating since news broke that she was expecting a baby from Thompson, and that she filed a lawsuit for child support in California. “Many inaccurate and false stories have been circulated about me,” she told the outlet.

She states that she has lived in California since 2019 and she’s not a personal trainer nor never worked with Tristan. “I have not at any point released – nor have I directed anyone else to release – any information regarding Tristan Thompson or any litigation involving him,” she added.

Nichols: “I do not want a romantic relationship with Tristan”

The fitness model stuck to her story that she met Thompson at a party in California in 2022. She claimed that he told her “he was single and co-parenting. I would never have gotten involved with Tristan if I thought he was in a relationship.”

She also said she saw her again in March 2021 around his birthday, which the player also has said. However, while Thompson claims they didn’t “hook up” again, Nichols says she saw him again in Boston and she told him about the pregnancy in North Carolina after he invited her to see him at the end of April.

Nichols also denied the rumors about having herpes. “I was induced on November 29, 2021 because I had a placenta abnormality,” she explained. “There is no other medical reason why I needed to be induced. I gave birth on December 1, 2021.”

On Thursday, E News confirmed that a judge dismissed the paternity lawsuit that Thompson filed against Nichols in a Houston court. Now, it’s likely Nichols’ lawsuit will be handled in California. Thompson shares sonPrince, 5, with exJordan Craigand daughterTrue, 3, with exKhloe Kardashian.

Amid the legal dispute, the model told the outlet she is “choosing to embrace being a mother and doing the best I can for my son. I do not want any further media attention, nor do I want a romantic relationship with Tristan. My goal is to raise our son in a safe, healthy, loving and private environment.”

The womanizing NBA star has apparently cheated on Khloé Kardashian yet another time following a lawsuit filed on him for child support. A woman from Texas claims shegot pregnantby Thompson this year.

Whilethe scandal has already gone viral on the Internet with countless memes and other reactions, a number of people may be asking: Who is the woman in question? Her name is Maralee Nichols, and hereyou’llget to know more about her and this alleged affair.

Whois Maralee Nichols?

Maralee Nichols is a 31-year-old personal trainer from Houston, Texas, who isreportedly living in Los Angeles at the moment. According to multiple reportsfrom Daily Mail, E! News, In Touch, US Weekly, andPage Six, court documents reveal she has sued Tristan Thompsonfor child support after an allegedintercourseearlier this year.

Did Maralee Nichols and Tristan Thompson conceived a child?

The paternity lawsuit Maralee Nichols filed on Tristan Thompson suggests she got pregnant of his third child. While reports claimed she is dueto give birthbythese days, others state she has already welcomedher new baby recently. Some say it happened on December 2, while other reports say the date is Dec. 3.

Anyway, in the court documentsNichols reportedly says she and Thompson conceived the babyin a Houston hotelin Marchduring Thompson’s 30th birthday celebrations. By then, the Sacramento Kings player was back in a relationship with Khloe Kardashian, mother of his three-year old daughter, True.

The Daily Mail reports thatThompsonhasdeclared on courtthat they only had intercoursetwice that night, which is a different version from that of Nichols. The personal trainer’s lawyers, on the otherhand, claimsehe and the Kings starhadalreadya five-month affair before thenwhichcontinued after his birthday.

Nicholsis reportedly requesting Thompson to reimburseher for child-related expenses she has faced during these monthsduring her stay at the hospital as wellas other costs such as doctor’s appointments, prenatal vitamins, baby clothes, diapers, andparenting clases. Tristan Thompson, meanwhile, is understood towant to have a paternity test. If that’s the case, it could happen anytime soon. It remains to be seen how this situation will unfold.

Known for being a womanizing basketball player who had already cheated on celebrity partner Khloé Kardashian, now Thompson is in the eye of the storm as a Texas personal trainer says she’s pregnant with his third son. The woman in question is calledMaralee Nichols and she has reportedly filed a lawsuit to Thompson for child support.

Thompson and her havereportedly conceived the child during the NBA star’sbirthdayin March, when he was reportedly back with Khloé after several cheating episodes. Check out the funniest memes and reactions.

Tristan Thompson may have cheated Khloé Kardashian again: Memes and reactions

On Sunday, Tristan Thompson applied LeBron’s formula when he felt a fan crossed the line. During the Sacramento Kings‘ road defeat to the Memphis Grizzlies, he got a fan removed from the FedExForum.

In the fourth quarter of the game, with 9.38 remaining on the clock, Thompson approached the referees while he pointed out a fan who was sitting courtside. Shortly after that, security got him kicked out, per TMZ.

Tristan Thompson emulates LeBron James in Grizzlies-Kings game

The ejected fan has supposedly made comments onthe Kardashian family, especially about Khloé,Thompson’s partner for a long time. And those comments were understood to be made towards the Kings forward.

“I don’t think it needs to be talked about or anything, but obviously it’s not anything that I’m going to tolerate people saying to my players, I know that, not without intervening and asking them to be removed,” Kings interim head coach Alvin Gentry said, as quoted by New YorkPost.

“They can say anything they want to me or they can boo and do everything they want with the players, but there’s no room for saying inappropriate things in a sporting event. That’s not why you’re there,” he added.

LeBron has gone through a very similar situation on Wednesday as a couple of fans havemade obscene gestures andintolerable commentsabout his family. And him having those people kicked out of the building may have inspired Thompson a few days later.