Thompson’s decision will have ripple effects across the league, where much of the mid-level market is full of wings who were waiting for Paul George, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Thompson to slide off the board before determining their own landing spots.
The 26-year-old 7-footer is coming off a breakout 2023-24 campaign that saw him average 7.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.1 blocks in a career-high 25.3 minutes per game.
The Clippers want flexibility and to avoid the second apron, and they have made it clear to this point they have no intention of awarding any player — not Kawhi Leonard, not George, not James Harden — with a contract beyond three years, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
The Cavaliers have met with and are still conducting interviews with various candidates over Zoom as well, sources said, such as Knicks assistant Johnnie Bryant and Milwaukee Bucks assistant Dave Joerger.