Tristan Thompson and the Cleveland Cavaliers ended an impasse with a signed five-year contract on Thursday. The deal is worth $82 million and is fully guaranteed.No player or team options are included in the contract, which appears to be a massive victory for Thompson.Thompson and the Cavaliers had not been able to end a standoff that started on the first day of free agency in July when it was reported that the sides were close to an agreement.The 24-year-old sought a max contract of five years at $94 million or three years at $53 million, but the Cavs previously would not offer more than $80 million.Cavs superstar LeBron James urged the team to re-sign Thompson throughout the summer and into the preseason, saying the situation was a distraction to the team. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers are proceeding cautiously with James after he received an anti-inflammatory injection in his back last week. The 30-year-old James has not participated in a full practice since the shot on Oct. 13 and Cleveland opens the regular season on Tuesday when it visits the Chicago Bulls.--New Orleans Pelicans guard Tyreke Evans is out until December after undergoing right knee surgery.Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said last week that Evans was dealing with some soreness in the knee and Evans' absence might necessitate a roster move.In a career-high 79 games last season, Evans averaged 16.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 6.6 assists. --Lamar Odom's condition continues to improve after the former NBA forward was found unconscious last week in a Nevada brothel, his family said Thursday.Odom was moved to Los Angeles after initially being treated in Las Vegas and is responding to an aggressive therapy regimen."He is beginning to gradually flourish both mentally and physically," Alvina Alston, a publicist for Odom's aunt, JaNean Mercer, said in a statement. "His use of speech has increased and he's more cognitively responsive."--The Chicago Bulls waived guards Jordan Crawford and Marcus Simmons on Thursday to reduce their roster to 15 players.Crawford has played with four different teams and has a 12.2 career scoring average in 257 games. Simmons averaged 4.0 points per game for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the D-League last season.--The Atlanta Hawks waived swingman Terran Petteway, the team announced.Petteway played for Nebraska last season and decided to bypass his senior season and enter the NBA Draft. He went undrafted and played in only three preseason games for Atlanta.