I think you guys are being awfully close-minded about this Jason Thompson situation. We have to be realistic about what does and does not have value. Thornton is getting paid a lot of money to do nothing right now so you have to convince somebody he can at least come close to getting them 15-18 points per game. I believe Minnesota might be interested in Hayes (or Landry) only because of the Adelman situation, but otherwise Thompson and IT are basically the only positive value vets we have. The rest are valuable only as expiring contracts in the near future.
Here's the thing with Thompson -- and I understand that most disagree with me on this and see him as a productive player -- but we don't need him. He's not helping us win anything. At PF right now we have Thompson, Patterson, Hayes, and Landry. Landry and Thompson's contracts are almost identical and neither of them is a starter.
This is what we're losing in Thompson (Last 4 years):
8.8pts, 6.3rebs, 1.1ast, 0.4stl, 0.6blk (24.4mpg)
This is what we'd be getting in Williams:
10.2pts, 5rebs, 0.6ast, 0.6stl, 0.5blk (22mpg)
The overall drop in production is negligible. Now i could have used Thompson's career numbers, but he's 27 years old and his production has already been declining. Derrick Williams is 22years old and has never had a chance to be a starter in the NBA. You can compare their per36 numbers as well if you like. Williams is a better scorer, Thompson grabs 1.5 more boards per game, but he should. He's played all of his minutes at PF/C.
The comparison in terms of raw production isn't as big as people make it out to be. If Thompson is so valuable, and Williams flat out sucks than how come Williams is averaging very similar stats as Thompson? Where is this untapped value that Thompson is somehow providing us? I think it simply boils down to the perception that 6'11" means he's valuable as a backup to Cousins which we already know is a tenuous position at best.
But look at our roster, take Thompson out and we get Patterson/Hayes at PF for two or three months until Landry comes back. You don't think Landry can put up 8.8 and 6 in 24mpg? Every NBA bench in the league has a guy who can give you those numbers. Heck, we have three of them. Wouldn't you rather have a 22 year old SF with some potential to get better alongside Cousins and McLemore than the John Salmons and Travis Outlaw flying circus? Mbah A Moute can split minutes at SF and PF anyway. What about a lineup of Vasquez/McLemore/Williams/Mbah A Moute/Cousins for now and we see what happens in the draft and off-season to bolster those forward positions?
For anyone who thinks this team needs a shot in the arm right now to improve the attitude of the team, swapping Thompson's minutes for Derrick Williams if nothing else constitutes a significant change to the personality of the team in the short-term future. And I think Williams is going to be so happy to be playing again, he might surprise some people (see also, the Marcus Thornton post-trade effect).
You have to take into account the natural growth arc of the player. If I had told you at the beginning of last season that Evan Turner would be a 20ppg scorer in the league before his rookie contract is up I would have been laughed out of the room. Look at the big step forward Cousins has taken in his fourth season. Williams is just 22 years old now, Thompson was 22 years old his rookie season and now he's a 6th year NBA vet. Think about that.