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Cleveland Cavaliers: Why Tristan Thompson Is Worth $90 Million

By Will Reeve

May 6, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Taj Gibson (22) fights for position with Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) and center Tristan Thompson (13) during the second quarter in game two of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
May 6, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Taj Gibson (22) fights for position with Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) and center Tristan Thompson (13) during the second quarter in game two of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /
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The answer to Tristan Thompson’s true worth isn’t as easy as digesting stats and upside. Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert has a bevy of things to navigate and consider while the two sides continue their offseason stalemate:

  1. Signing Thompson to a $15 million salary this year will end up costing Gilbert $35 million this season after complicated math via the luxury tax.
  2. Not signing Thompson to a long-term deal will result in him signing the $6.8 million qualifying offer and Thompson leaving after this season according to his agent Rich Paul.
  3. According to Terry Pluto of “The Plain Dealer,” since 1995 16 players have signed a qualifying offer, only one has returned to their same team the following year: Spencer Hawes.
  4. LeBron James is 30 years old and on a one-plus-one deal with a player option to leave after this season and is represented by Paul as well.
  5. Teams are allowed to spend way over the cap on their own players, if they lose Thompson after this season the franchise will not be able to afford a comparable big in free agency.
  6. The salary cap rises by 30 percent next year and will likely double in the next five via the new national TV contract.

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With the cap jumping so dramatically so fast Thompson — and several other free agents who appeared to get paid far more than their worth this offseason — are in a unique position of player leverage.

Simply put, a $90 million contract now isn’t going to look so bad after next year, and once locked up, the Cavs are in a good position to unload him for cheaper players in the future if necessary.

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Apart from this laundry list of things, Gilbert must consider the strained (at least publicly) relationship between him and James.

After writing a scathing and highly disrespectful letter about James post-“The Decision,” Gilbert has not once publicly apologized for his position; nor did he ever personally congratulate James on his accomplishments while in Miami.

Instead, Gilbert chose to congratulate the Heat as a whole when they won their titles and maintain an air of egotism by never humbling himself and apologizing to James publicly.

Considering the player option James will have after this season and the reality of how he’s been treated publicly by Gilbert, the testy owner has to spend whatever it takes to re-sign Thompson.

If he loses James again, the city of Cleveland will never forgive him. According to Time, LeBron James is and has been worth roughly $500 million to Cleveland between: ticket sales, merchandise, sponsors and TV time since his return.

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    • Thompson is technically a backup and his numbers aren’t exactly eye-popping in averaging 8.5 points and eight rebounds in 26.8 minutes per game in the regular season — and 9.6 points, 10.8 rebounds in 36.4 minutes per contest in the postseason respectively.

    That said, an astronomical 42 percent of his rebounds came on the offensive end and starter Kevin Love will ultimately have to come off of the floor regularly again for defensive purposes. The Cavs don’t have an in-house or free agent option that can stop the bleeding defensively and rebound like Thompson can and does.

    The Cavaliers jumped at locking up Love because it puts them in the same position they would be in with Thompson once signed: they can trade him away for younger and cheaper pieces in the future. That’s not to say their looking to trade Love now, but down the road you want to keep this option open with any asset you currently possess on your roster.

    The two sides were originally nearing a five-year, $80 million deal according to ESPN’s Mark Stein, but Thompson understandably balked after seeing what others got paid and in light of all of the aforementioned circumstances — and likely should have.

    Thompson will almost unquestionably sign with Cleveland in the end; and a wise man should expect to see a deal closer to $90 million rather than the original $80 million contract offer when all is said and done.

    Will Reeve is a contributing writer for HoopsHabit, you can follow him on Twitter @WillReeveJr or connect with him on Facebook here.

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