After a lengthy contract holdout lingered through much of training camp, Thompson eventually re-signed with the Cavaliers on a five-year, $82 million contract and turned in the most efficient season of his career in 2015-16, averaging 7.8 points per game on 58.8 percent shooting. While his impact offensively continued to diminish -- he had a career-low 11.7 percent usage rate -- Thompson embraced his role as a rebounding and defensive specialist. Thompson produced a career-best 23.3 defensive rebound percentage and 18.4 total rebound percentage while leading the NBA in offensive rating (130) among qualified players. He was moved in and out of the starting lineup throughout the regular season as both David Blatt and Tyronn Lue tinkered with the frontcourt alignment, but he ultimately settled in as the starting center prior to the postseason. Thompson started all 21 games en route to the title, averaging 6.7 points and 9.0 rebounds in addition to serving as the team's do-it-all defender, allowing the Cavs to switch on and off the ball at will. Entering 2016-17, Thompson is entrenched in a starting role as part of a big-man rotation that will also include Kevin Love, Channing Frye and Chris Andersen. With Frye and Love most comfortable working around the perimeter, it will again be Thompson's responsibility to clean the glass and protect the rim.

After two years as a starter in all 82 games for Cleveland, Tristan Thompson was mainly a reserve in 2014-15. He again played in 82 games, but started just 15 and almost all of his numbers decreased. In 27 minutes, Thompson provided 8.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 0.4 steals, and 0.7 blocks. He did not attempt a three-pointer. The four-year Cavalier did have a career-high 55 percent from the field (which indicates that he was not taking shots out of his range), but his 64 percent from the line failed to impress. He continues to be an excellent offensive rebounder and still hauled in 3.3 of his own team's missed shots despite the decrease in minutes. Thompson can also switch to smaller players on defense, which is a critical skill on a team with Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving, who are generally indifferent defenders. After Love separated his shoulder in the playoffs, Thompson moved into the starting lineup and provided 9.6 points and 10.8 rebounds. With Love and Timofey Mozgov as starters, Thompson will likely return to bench duty in the new season, and his production will be tied to his playing time.

Tristan Thompson has been the steadiest member of the Cavaliers' frontcourt for the last two seasons but has seen his situation change as he enters his fourth season in the league. The 6-9 forward has started every game since 2012 and has provided a stable stat line. In 2013-14, he averaged 11.7 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 0.9 assists per game. Despite being groomed as a defensive player, Thompson only blocked 0.4 shots per game last year. Last offseason, he switched primary shooting hands from his left to his right hand, and as a righty, he hit 48 percent of his field goals and a career-best 69 percent of his free throws. With a new regime in Cleveland, Thompson's role is somewhat uncertain. If Anderson Varejao is healthy, Thompson will likely come off the bench behind Kevin Love. Thompson could also serve as an undersized center next to Love in the starting lineup. The Canadian-born forward can play low-post defense, but at 238 pounds, he can give up muscle to bigger centers in the league. With Love on the court, there will not be as many defensive rebounding opportunities for Thompson. Since Love likes to play on the perimeter, Thompson could sneak in for offensive rebounds (3.3 per game in 2013-14) and have some fantasy appeal as a helper in rebounds and field goal percentage.

While starting next to Varejao last season, Thompson looked like he was going be nothing more than a slightly below average player. More doors opened for the 6-9 Canadian after Varejao was lost for the season, and Thompson produced buckets of double-doubles thereafter. He finished the season averaging 11.7 points and a team-high 9.4 rebounds. If Varejao and Bynum manage to stay healthy, Thompson's numbers will likely take a large dip, but he can be drafted and stashed in deeper leagues because the odds of Bynum and Varejao staying healthy aren't great.

Some folks were left scratching their heads when the Cavs took Thompson with the fourth pick in 2011. However, some of the advanced metrics love the big Canadian. As a rookie, he only averaged 8.2 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, but he is still a raw player with potential, and he could see an uptick in his performance this year.

Thompson has the athleticism and skills to make an immediate impact. However, at the tender age of 20, it is unclear what his role will be, especially with Jamison back and healthy. After playing just one year at the University of Texas, where he averaged 13.1 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.4 blocks, expect Thompson to help the Cavaliers’ tremendously on the boards and with points in the paint. If Jamison’s season is cut short again by injuries, Thompson could see his minutes skyrocket and instantly becomes a top-20 power forward.