With the trade deadline basically upon us, Boston Celtics center Tristan Thompson has been the focus of trade talks and rumors, and yes I know I was involved as well. A recent report from the Ringer’s NBA insider, Kevin O’Connor, on the “Mismatch” podcast says that his locker room presence has left much to be desired.
O’Connor stated, “I have also heard that Thompson is not loved in that locker room for numerous different reasons.”
This report caught the eye of Celtics All-Star guard, Jaylen Brown. Brown quote tweeted the Tweet with an emoji of a baseball cap which means “cap” which is slang for lies or falsehoods. He has yet to expand on his comment and we haven’t heard any more about these rumors.
— Jaylen Brown (@FCHWPO) March 23, 2021
Thompson was one of the additions made in the offseason and he was expected to really push this team to the next level. So far this season, he’s started 31 of the 36 games he’s appeared in, averaging 7.9 points and 8.4 rebounds per game on 53 percent from the field.
The former Texas Longhorn is a vocal locker room leader as we saw on several occasions during his tenure with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Brown, along with Kemba Walker, quickly came to the defense of Thompson which is a promising sign that these rumors are nothing but smoke.
we love TT https://t.co/mGOrw1IRLU
— Kemba Walker (@KembaWalker) March 23, 2021
The Celtics have been without Thompson since playing the Rockets on March 14–as he’s been going through the NBA’s health and safety protocols–and have gone 1-4 in his absence. Boston has seemingly been on a downward spiral and just hasn’t been able to get on the same page. as the Cs sit at 21-22 and are clinging onto a playoff berth as the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference.
Thompson himself has yet to comment on these rumors or anything regarding a trade being in the works.