Tristan Thompson will leave the ESPN analyst chair and return to his basketball playing career, according to the network.
The 32-year-old is signing with the Lakers ahead of the NBA playoffs, reuniting with former Cavaliers teammate LeBron James.
Thompson had been an NBA analyst on “NBA Today” and other ESPN programs since late January.
He’s joining the Lakers along with guard Shaquille Harrison, adding depth to a potentially dangerous squad, which still had a chance to avoid the play-in tournament entering Sunday.
The Lakers finished the regular season as the No. 7 seed and will face the No. 8 Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday as part of the Play-In.
The game’s winner will face the No. 2 Memphis Grizzlies in round one of the playoffs.
James and Thompson played together from 2014-18 as part of James’ second run with the Cleveland Cavaliers, where Thompson was a key interior presence for four consecutive Eastern Conference championship rosters, including the famous 2016 Cavs title.
Thompson has since played for the Boston Celtics, Sacramento Kings, Indiana Pacers and Chicago Bulls.
The No. 4 overall draft pick in 2011, who has two children with ex Khloe Kardashian, last played for the Bulls last season.
In his 2021-22 campaign, Thompson averaged 6.0 points and 5.1 rebounds in 30 appearances, logging over 15 minutes per contest.
For his career, Thompson has posted 9.0 points and 8.4 boards per contest, and he’s expected to provide depth at center for the Lakers on what could be his final NBA run.
