It’s a good thing I didn’t write this exit interview over a week ago. A little under a month ago, Tristan Thompson was Boston’s starting center in a short but intense playoff series against the Brooklyn Nets, including a standout game in Boston’s lone win in which he posted 19 points and 11 rebounds. A little over a week ago, he was the only reliable big on the roster (factoring in Rob Williams III’s health and Grant Williams inconsistencies in his second year).
A week later, Thompson is third in the big man pecking order for Boston after the acquisition of Al Horford, making Thompson a potentially expendable player and one of the few avenues for Boston to get meaningful upgrades without trading a core member.