Cleveland Cavaliers fans won’t have to worry about guard Kyrie Irving, forward Tristan Thompson, guard Dion Waiters and center Tyler Zeller players from going anywhere else any time soon.
The team announced Wednesday that it has exercised fourth-year options on Irving and Thompson, as well as third-year options on guard Dion Waiters and center Tyler Zeller.
Irving was the No. 1 pick in the 2011 draft. Since then, he’s averaged 20.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.3 steals in 32.8 minutes through 110 career games with the Cavaliers.
By the team exercising its option, Irving, a 2013 All-Star choice, will be locked up contractually through at least the 2014-15 season.
Thompson was selected No. 4 in the first round of the 2011 draft and owns career averages of 10.2 points and 8.2 rebounds in 28.1 minutes through 142 (107 starts) games played.
He set a franchise record for most offensive rebounds in a single-season with 306, which ranked second in the NBA, surpassing Zydrunas Ilgauskas’ 299 during the 2004-05 season.
Waiters was the Cavs’ fourth pick in the 2012 draft and appeared in 61 games last season as a rookie, averaging 14.7 points on .412 shooting, 2.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.0 steal in 28.8 minutes. He was also named to the NBA’s All-Rookie First Team.
Zeller was a first round pick (17th overall) in the 2012 draft by the Dallas Mavericks, but was acquired shortly thereafter on the same day by the Cavaliers in a trade.
In 77 games last season, Zeller averaged 7.9 points on .438 shooting and 5.7 rebounds in 28.0 minutes. He was named to the NBA’s All-Rookie Second Team.