Should the Cleveland Cavaliers give Tristan Thompson an extension?

Should Tristan Thompson be given an extension by the Cavs?

The Cleveland Cavaliers can offer Tristan Thompson an extension by Oct. 30, or they can wait for him to be a restricted free agent at the end of the season. The Cavs have rebuilt their roster around LeBron James, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving with David Blatt as head coach.

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If they feel Thompson, 23, fits in with this team in the long-term, then they may be better suited to sign him now rather than deal with his restricted free agency during the summer–since we saw how dramatic that could get with Eric Bledsoe and Greg Monroe this offseason.

According to Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer, Thompson’s agent Rich Paul and the team haven’t yet talked about an extension.

"They signed Irving to a five-year, $90 million maximum deal. Thompson is not expected to make that kind of cash, but he will be well-paid — either now or later. Paul and the Cavs have not had any serious talks yet, with Paul and Termini focused on working out the mechanics of James coming back to the Cavs, followed by the long talks about Bledsoe."

So the question becomes: is Thompson deserving of the extension, and should the Cavs and Paul start talking with less than a month left to offer a contract?

With James and Love filling out the forward spots, Thompson is being played at center along with Anderson Varejao. Varejao, 32, has missed 166 games over the past four years. With the Cavs looking to play faster, Thompson is a better fit as a starter with Verejao coming off the bench when they need a grit-and-grind guy (much in the same way the Miami Heat used Udonis Haslem the past two seasons). He’s also played in every game the last two years.

Thompson has struggled to make baskets consistently, shooting 47.7 percent and 48.8 percent while averaging 11.7 points in each of the last two seasons. But with James, Love and some new role players, Thompson won’t need to be a great scorer on this team. He’ll thrive as a rebounder (10.5 rebounds per game last season) and defender who gets baskets on put-backs and hustle plays.

So if the Cavs decide to offer Thompson an extension, it becomes an issue of negotiations. If Thompson believes he can score a deal like Bledsoe’s $70 million contract, it may best serve him to wait (not to mention that the new TV deal will increase the salary cap). If Thompson wants to prove himself this season in hopes of earning a higher dollar amount, that could muck up negotiations. Or, the Cavs could bet on his potential and go all-in on an extension.

Thompson currently makes a little more than $4 million a year, but will likely be looking to sign an extension worth twice that annually. The Cavs can do it, but they’ll have to decide if they should.

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