Hoops Habit
Fansided

Cleveland Cavaliers: Tristan Thompson Talks Stalled

By Phil Watson

Jun 16, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson (13) dunks against Golden State Warriors guard Shaun Livingston (34) during the first quarter of game six of the NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 16, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson (13) dunks against Golden State Warriors guard Shaun Livingston (34) during the first quarter of game six of the NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

With training camp set to open in a week, the Cleveland Cavaliers and restricted free agent forward Tristan Thompson remain at loggerheads in talks for a new contract.

According to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com, the two sides are still $14 million apart—with the Cavaliers offering five years and $80 million and Thompson looking for the maximum $94 million over the same five-year period.

ALSO ON HOOPSHABIT: 25 Best Players To Play For The Cavaliers

Thompson has the option of signing the one-year qualifying offer for $6.9 million that Cleveland extended in late June to retain its right of first refusal.

More from Cleveland Cavaliers

That would enable Thompson to become an unrestricted free agent next summer, the same route that former Detroit Pistons center Greg Monroe followed as a restricted free agent in 2014 before signing a three-year, $50 million deal with the Milwaukee Bucks this summer.

Thompson lost his starting job when the Cavaliers acquired former All-Star Kevin Love from the Minnesota Timberwolves last offseason and averaged 8.5 points and eight rebounds in 26.8 minutes per game last year, appearing in all 82 games for the third straight season.

That durability, plus his performance after Love went down with a shoulder injury in the first round of the playoffs, is part of the leverage Thompson has been trying to exert on the Cavaliers.

Thompson averaged 9.6 points, 10.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 36.4 minutes per game in the playoffs, with those numbers going up to 11.4 points, 12.1 rebounds, 1.3 blocks and 39.2 minutes in the 15 games he started after Love’s injury.

Love was hurt in the clinching Game 4 of the first-round series victory over the Boston Celtics when he got tangled up with/had his arm yanked out of its socket by Kelly Olynyk.

The Cavaliers started veteran Mike Miller and went small in Game 1 of the conference semifinals against the Chicago Bulls, but after losing 99-92 and having Miller play just 16 minutes, score three points and put up a team-worst minus-20 plus/minus figure, coach David Blatt went to a bigger lineup with Thompson starting at the 4.

Cleveland went on to eliminate the Bulls in six games before sweeping the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Finals to reach the NBA Finals for just the second time in the history of the franchise.

Thompson went on to average 13 boards a game, including more than five on the offensive glass, in the Finals as the Cavaliers went down to the Golden State Warriors in six games.

Cleveland has a number of big men returning from surgery, including Love, Anderson Varejao (Achilles) and Timofey Mozgov (knee), another factor Thompson’s camp has relied upon to hold fast in its negotiations.

The salary cap is expected to increase by some $20 million for 2016-17 from this season’s record $70 million and at that figure, it is estimated that more than 20 teams will have more than $20 million in cap space for next season.

That could be a key determining factor in Thompson’s decision, should he opt to sign the QO and test unrestricted free agency in 2016.

There have been 20 players, according to ESPN.com, that have signed qualifying offers as restricted free agents and only one, Spencer Hawes with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2012, re-signed with his old team as an unrestricted free agent the following year.

It’s worth noting that Thompson shares the same agent—Rich Paul—with LeBron James. James urged the Phoenix Suns last year via social media to make a deal with restricted free agent Eric Bledsoe, also a Paul client, who eventually signed a five-year, $70 million deal just before the start of camp.

James has not gotten himself involved in the Thompson talks, other than to say he thinks Thompson should finish his career as a Cavalier.

Live Feed

What would a successful 2023-24 look like for Cavaliers' Ty Jerome?
What would a successful 2023-24 look like for Cavaliers' Ty Jerome? /

King James Gospel

  • Prominent NBA agent says LeBron had a harder path than JordanKing James Gospel
  • A crucial year in the Land: 3 bold predictions for the Cavs this seasonKing James Gospel
  • How many teams from the Cavs’ Central Division will make the playoffs?King James Gospel
  • Grade the Trade: Cavs swap Mitchell for rival's worst contract in B/R pitchKing James Gospel
  • 3 disasters the Cleveland Cavaliers need to avoid this seasonKing James Gospel

    • There are compelling arguments on both sides, whether the Cavaliers should hold firm or give in to Thompson’s demands.

    The Cavaliers would be gambling on a return to health for Love while Thompson would be wagering that he can be healthy and productive this season, thus further enhancing his value as an unrestricted free agent.

    Of this year’s crop of restricted free agents, Cory Joseph (from the San Antonio Spurs to the Toronto Raptors) and Kyle O’Quinn (Orlando Magic to New York Knicks) are the only ones of 26 who received qualifying offers to change teams.

    The Brooklyn Nets rescinded their qualifying offer to Mirza Teletovic, making him an unrestricted free agent. He eventually signed with the Phoenix Suns.

    With training camp on the horizon, the only certainty is that Thompson will be a Cavalier in 2015-16. The question is whether it will be on a one- or five-year plan.

    Next: The 30 Best Small Forwards of All-Time

    More from Hoops Habit

    Home/Cleveland Cavaliers