The Cleveland Cavaliers have yet to sign Tristan Thompson and the qualifying offer deadline is coming up after the start of training camp, leaving little time for a deal to get done. LeBron James said he is hopeful that the Cavs will sign Thompson and this comes as players like Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving, Iman Shumpert, Anderson Varejao and JR Smith have all reported.
The Cavaliers have been as active as anyone this summer in signing back players, but Thompson remains on the market leading into camp. Thompson was not at media day for the Cavs and according to ESPN.com, Thompson likely will miss the start of training camp. Brian Windhorst reports that the two sides are not close to a new contract and that the qualifying offer deal may be the only solution at this point.
The qualifying offer is for $6.9 million and that would be a one year deal for Thompson that makes him an unrestricted free agent next summer. According to Pro Basketball Talk, Thompson and his agent Rich Paul were looking for a max deal earlier in the summer, but the Cavs were not willing to go that high. Thompson reportedly was looking for a deal around $94 million, while the Cavs were offering $80 million. Recent reports had Thompson looking for a shorter term deal, but the sides have not been able to agree on a new contract yet.
According to ESPN.com, Thompson is "willing" to sign a deal for three years and around $50 million, but the Cavaliers have not yet made an offer in that range. Thompson reportedly wants to get paid around $17 million and that is a high amount for a player that will not start. The Cavs want to keep Thompson, but they just gave Kevin Love a max contract and the team may not want to put that much money in one position. Thompson stepped up for Love last season when he was injured in the playoffs and he averaged 8.5 points and 8.0 rebounds per game in the regular season.
LeBron James has said that he is staying out of the negotiations regarding Thompson, as James and Thompson have the same agent in Rich Paul. According to Dave McMenamin, James said that he is "optimistic" about the deal for Thompson, but that he is "not getting involved" in any of the talks. James signed back this summer along with Love, Matthew Dellavedova and the rest of the Cavs free agents and now Thompson is the last piece left.
The Cavs also have J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert and James Jones back and the team also brought in Richard Jefferson, Sasha Kaun and Mo Williams in the offseason. According to Cleveland.com, Love is expected to be ready for the start of the regular season after having shoulder surgery during the playoffs. The Cavs camp roster also includes Jared Cunningham, Quinn Cook and D.J. Stephens and the team has also brought in Chris Johnson, Austin Daye and Nick Minnerath as invites to compete for spots.
