The Cleveland Cavaliers have major decisions to make with both Kevin Love holding a player option and Tristan Thompson entering restricted free agency. The Orlando Magic could prey on Thompson and solve a multitude of issues.
Tristan Thompson is a unique, ambidextrous big man whose talents greatly exceed all Orlando Magic frontcourt players, save perhaps Nikola Vucevic.
He is long, tough and, in his two years as a full-time starter, he nearly averaged a double double, posting 11.7 points and 9.3 rebounds in 31 minutes per game. This year, he has accepted a reduced role, but is still tallying more than eight points and eight boards per game at an ultra efficient 55 percent from the floor.
Thompson turned down a $52 million, four-year extension (similar to Vucevic’s extension) and may figure he is in line for a max contract or something more.
Debatable and speculative as it is, if the Orlando Magic were torn between either re-signing Tobias Harris or adding Thompson, it is not hard to believe that Harris would be the wrong pick. Thompson is a superior defender and the Magic need a secondary rebounding presence next to Vucevic.
If Kevin Love opts in at $16.7 million for the 2015-16 season, that may price the Cavs out of being able (see: wanting) to spend the dough on Thompson (although the Cavaliers will own Thompson’s Bird Rights and go over the cap to re-sign the young forward). The Cavs will have to look at re-signing LeBron James in the summer of 2016, and, lost in that shuffle, may be a great role player who could seamlessly slide in at the 4-spot for the Magic.
Thompson may have “next level” potential. He certainly can do a lot more to reach his potential. It is hard to argue that he has seen full opportunity for his talents to blossom in Cleveland.
While Kyrie Irving is a creative playmaker, it stands to reason Thompson could be one more great beneficiary of Elfrid Payton’s playmaking.
Tristan finishes well on both sides of the basket with both hands and rarely takes poor shots. Thompson is the kind of workhorse that could help the frontcourt get tougher and deeper, particularly with Dewayne Dedmon then being able to go back to an “energy” role off the bench.
The Magic have searched for an answer at power forward all season. Channing Frye has been a disappointment, Kyle O’Quinn disappeared from the rotation, Dewayne Dedmon is a raw onion. Aaron Gordon may or may not be a power forward.

But Thompson most certainly is a legitimate NBA 4-man who can build a solid decade as a starter still, given that he is just in his third NBA season.
He is 23 years old and a couple years away from what should be a very productive prime. But Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert will have a tough call to make if it means paying him near-max or max-status money without the ability to then spend it on Kevin Love.
While Love has taken a step back this season and shot the ball very poorly, he is still one of the top power forwards in the league and could see his productivity rise as he falls more into a comfort zone.
Where that leaves Thompson is in a very opportunistic situation to take advantage of an open market this offseason.
The big names do not hit the shelves until 2016, so Thompson could easily be one of the few to take advantage of teams looking to spend this summer.

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Draymond Green may capitalize similarly, but if Green becomes the major attraction, the Magic could sneak in and sign Thompson to give themselves a legitimate high lottery pick starting alongside Nikola Vucevic.
While many are quick to tout Aaron Gordon as a solution, Thompson has a three-year proven track record of great play. He is currently posting an identical win share to Vucevic, so the potential for Thompson to assume a large role within the Magic offense is there.
Thompson has shot 64.8 percent from within three feet this season, and he is a passable 37.5 percent from 16-feet extended. His bread and butter is being in the paint and getting opportunity buckets, but Thompson can step out and hit with enough frequency that defenses will respect him.
Thompson will want that figure to rise above 40 percent, but he has improved his range and could be a staple within the offense if he finds the high post to his liking within the offense.
Vucevic is hitting 46.5 percent from 16-feet extended, the Magic may want to run Vucevic in the high post and let Thompson assume a more 5-like role within the offense.
Thompson is well suited to covering both positions, too, which will help on nights like the last game against Hassan Whiteside and the Miami Heat. Dedmon and Thompson augmenting one another’s minutes will enable both to play aggressively without worrying about picking up too many fouls.
That is to say there is always something to be said for having multiple defensive big men.
Per 36 minutes, Thompson is averaging 12.7 points and 10.5 rebounds for his career. And, while he is not much of a shot blocker, his one block per 36 minutes does not tell the story of how well he contests shots with a high standing reach of 9-feet-0.5 and max vertical leap of 35 inches, as measured in the NBA Draft Combine.
Thompson is a good athlete, natural basketball player and potentially the forward who could give Orlando what it needs to fill out its starting frontcourt.
There are a lot of doubts as to whether Thompson is worth the money he is seeking, but his per-minute production is what needs to be seized. He needs the chance to reach his potential.
He has adapted to the NBA well for his young career, but teams are banking on a lot of potential if he is to be inked to a deal approaching the max. Will the Magic end up being one of them? Could they get him on the cheap?
Next: Orlando Magic's interior defense is the focus for the offseason