The Cleveland Cavaliers finally checked another player off their contract check list. As the team continues to try and bring the entire band back together, the franchise is having a hard time making everyone happy from a money standpoint. They already handed out huge contracts to retain both Kevin Love and Iman Shumpert, not to mention the max deal to LeBron James. That is halting negotiations with other players, but on Monday the team finalized a deal with Matthew Dellavedova which puts the focus back on Tristan Thompson.
According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com, Dellavedova accepted his one-year qualifying offer of $1.2 million to return to Cleveland. The deal comes after the backup point guard was reportedly seeking a multi-year contract worth at least $4 million per season. The Cavaliers had zero interest in paying him that money and Dellavedova was simply forced to accept the short-term contract with the potential to capitalize when the salary cap increases next offseason.
With that out of the way, the Cavaliers can shift their focuses elsewhere. With luxury tax penalties still stacked sky high, the Cavaliers must try and get Thompson signed along with JR Smith. LeBron James has made it clear that he wants both players back under contract with Cleveland, but that is proving to be easier said than done. According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Thompson wants a max contract or something close to it this season. The Cavaliers are strapped for cash and might not be able to meet the demands of the power forward.
There have not been any teams reportedly showing interest in Thompson at this point in the offseason because most are under the impression the Cavaliers will simply match the deal. Thompson could be forced to accept his qualifying offer and capitalize next season like Dellavedova and James are doing. The Cavaliers could try and make a trade in order to free up space. Obviously, Anderson Varejao is the player in question, but Cleveland might hesitate on the move after getting rid of Mike Miller and Brendan Haywood.
The Cavaliers tried to include Varejao in trade deals for Joe Johnson, but the Brooklyn Nets did not want him. With Timofey Mozgov returning, Varejao is somewhat expendable. According to Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group, Varejao will have a reduced role in 2015 despite his three-year, $30 million contract. Love, Thompson and Mozgov will eat up minutes for Varejao. The trades of Miller, Haywood and Rakeem Christmas mean Varejao is no longer as expendable as he once was forcing the Cavaliers to get creative with contract talks.
