Tristan Thompson seems to be the last puzzle piece for the Cleveland Cavaliers, but contract negotiations are putting his future in Cleveland in doubt.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have had as successful an offseason in regards to NBA free agency by any measure. They were able to lock up LeBron James after he opted out, while also signing Kevin Love to a long-term contract. In addition to filling out their roster with veterans for depth, the offseason has been a win for the Cavs.
However, Tristan Thompson is the one piece that Cleveland has targeted but has yet to sign, or re-sign in this case. Thompson and the Cavs have been at odds over the deal since talks broke down in mid-July, as the forward was seeking a contract that would pay him over $90 million on a five-year deal. That’s clearly more than Cleveland wants to dish out, especially after re-signing Love.
So now the Cavs are left either trying to get Thompson to take far less money than he was originally seeking or have him accept a one-year, $6.8 million qualifying offer. If that is ultimately what happens, the 2015-16 season will be Thompson’s last in Cleveland.
According to ESPN, Thompson’s agent Rich Paul has told multiple media sources that if his client must take a one-year deal, he won’t re-sign with the Cavaliers next summer.
Paul being Thompson’s agent is worth noting in this matter for two reasons. For one, Paul also represents LeBron, who just re-signed with the Cavs. Moreover, Paul’s clients have been involved in restricted free agency talks similar to this one before, most recently with Eric Bledsoe and the Phoenix Suns.
However, this is near uncharted territory in free agency with the impending jump of the salary cap next summer. With the cap expected to balloon almost $20 million next year, over half the teams in the league will have the financial flexibility to sign players to a max-level deal. Subsequently, that makes a one-year contract and entering next summer as an unrestricted free agent a more appealing option for Thompson.
As for the Cavs, they’ve never wavered from the stance that they want to bring Thompson back. He was integral in their run to the NBA Finals this past season after Love went out with a shoulder injury. It’s clearly only the money standing in the way of getting a deal done.
With Paul representing both LeBron and Thompson, I’d imagine the Cavs get pressured into paying Thompson for a long-term deal before the summer’s end. That’s not certain, but it seems like the most likely outcome at this point. If it plays out any other way, it’ll be interesting to see the repercussions in Cleveland.
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