Thompson agrees to new contract with Cavaliers

CLEVELAND: Tristan Thompson agreed to a new contract Wednesday with the Cleveland Cavaliers, ending the most significant player holdout just days before last season’s NBA runners-up open the 2015-16 campaign.
The Cavaliers, sparked by superstar LeBron James, agreed to a five-year deal worth $82 million for the 24-year-old Canadian power forward, according to multiple newspaper and television reports.
“It’s been a long summer of grinding and hard work but now it’s back to The Land to take care of some unfinished business,” Thompson tweeted with the hashtags HappyToBeBack and ALLin, the latter being the Cavaliers’ catch phrase during last season’s drive to the Eastern Conference crown.
James had said signing Thompson to a long-term contract was a key priority of the team and the Cavaliers came through just six days ahead of the team’s opener against Chicago.
Thompson had been a starter for every game over two seasons until James arrived last season and brought a whirlwind of changes, including forward Kevin Love and big man Timofey Mozgov. But after starting only 15 regular-season games, Thompson made 15 starts in the playoffs and played a vital role when Love went down with an injury.
The Cavaliers, as a result, will likely have the NBA’s highest payroll when the season begins next week at around $115 million.
Thompson rejected a contract extension for four years at just over $50 million before last season to test his value as a free agent, but his work through the season made him too valuable for a title-hungry club such as the Cavaliers to let escape.
James arrived last year from Miami vowing to bring Cleveland it’s first NBA champion. He nearly made good on he promise in the first season but fatigue and injury wore down the Cavaliers in last year’s NBA Finals, when Cleveland lost to the Golden State Warriors.

Spurs waive Jimmer Fredette

The San Antonio Spurs have waived guard Jimmer Fredette.
The Spurs also waived Youssou Ndoye, Keifer Sykes and Deshaun Thomas on Wednesday.
The Spurs gave Fredette a partially guaranteed deal in July to come to training camp and provide some outside shooting to a veteran roster that is priming for another title run this season. But Fredette was underwhelming, scoring four points in 26 minutes in the preseason.
After a sensational career at BYU, Fredette was acquired by Sacramento in a 2011 draft-night trade after being selected 10th overall by Milwaukee. He has struggled in the NBA, bouncing around to Chicago and New Orleans as well before landing the tryout with San Antonio.
Fredette is now looking for his fifth team in five years.