The Cleveland Cavaliers are beginning work to get back to the NBA Finals and they may have just cleared a major hurdle in getting there. The Cavaliers have had to be big spenders this offseason in order to retain their in-house talent. Almost everyone on the roster got new contracts including LeBron James, Kevin Love, Iman Shumpert, JR Smith and Matthew Dellavedova. Tristan Thompson was the last piece of the puzzle and he might be ready to complete the picture.
According to ESPN's Chris Broussard, Thompson is willing to lower his contract demands from a five-year, $94 million deal to a three-year, $53 million contract in order to get something done before training camp. Currently a restricted free agent, the Cavaliers and Thompson have been at odds regarding his contract situation to the tune of $14 million. Broussard reports that the Cavaliers are still looking over the demands and have yet to agree to anything.
General manager David Griffin made it clear that Thompson had not agreed to any contract terms as of yet and his agent Rich Paul is still shopping the deal around. This comes after reports that Paul threatened the Cavaliers saying his client would leave in free agency next season if he does not receive the deal he wants. For now, Thompson will be forced to sign a $6.9 million qualifying offer and play the season on a one-year deal.
Many wonder where LeBron James is in all of this. Last offseason, the franchise star was very vocal about Eric Bledsoe getting his max contract. This season he has stayed quiet on the front about Thompson and will likely remain that way. According to Joe Vardon of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, James is staying out of the way during the negotiations with Thompson. Sources say that the contract to Thompson will not factor into James' future with the franchise after he signed a two-year, $47 million deal. That is a good thing for the Cavaliers.
Right now, James is focused on the season ahead. With training camp preparing to begin in a week, the Cavaliers have been meeting for workouts in Miami to prepare. Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love have been cleared to play and reported to the practices, but Thompson held out. The power forward has until Oct. 1 to either get signed to a new contract or agree to the qualifying offer. If he works off the one-year deal, Thompson is betting on his future. If he plays well, he could earn a huge contract in return. If he struggles or gets injured, he could easily lose money.