Cleveland Cavaliers Roster Rumors, News: NBA Team No Longer Offering Max Contract for Tristan Thompson
The NBA preseason is coming to an end, and the regular season begins in less than two weeks. By far the biggest story-line heading into this season is surrounding the Cleveland Cavaliers and their power forward Tristan Thompson.
Thompson and his agent have been seeking a huge deal worth $94 million, but the Cavaliers have yet to give in. Previous reports showed that Cavaliers general manager David Griffin offered Thompson as much as a five-year $80 million contract. That same report also indicated that Thompson rejected the Cavaliers offer.
It's not every day you see a person turn down $80 million.
Both the Cavaliers and Thompson have remained firm by their sides over the last two months without much movement at all. Thompson has been holding out of team work outs, and he has yet to play in any preseason games so far this year. It doesn't look like Thompson and his team are bluffing after all.
According to new league reports, the Cavaliers have "taken the $80 million offer off the table." Thompson is taking a big risk here. LeBron James has expressed numerous times that he is a huge fan of Thompson's, but leaving that much guaranteed money on the table could be extremely detrimental. Time is running out for Thompson and the Cavaliers to strike a new deal before the season begins.
Thompson is a fantastic rebounder, and he was one of the biggest reasons the Cavaliers made it to the NBA Finals last year. So, why not re-sign Thompson to a new long-term deal? It's not that simple for the Cavaliers management. The Cavaliers are loaded with talent, and they don't have a ton of salary cap space left. Kevin Love agreed to a five year $110 million contract this year. LeBron James is making top dollar every year, as he should, and Kyrie Irving still has five years and more than $90 million left on his deal. Let's also not forget that Iman Shumpert was rewarded with a $40 million contract this offseason.
That's a lot of money, all of which can't and won't be going to Thompson. The bottom line is the Cavaliers have already invested so much in the rest of their lineup. If they were to spend $94 million (amount Thompson is looking for) on another player, their bench would be incredibly weak. Last year the Cavaliers had the strongest trade deadline when they acquired Shumpert and J.R. Smith from the New York Knicks to add roster depth. They were able to make those moves because they had enough cash to spend.
Speaking of J.R. Smith, he was seeking a large new contract this offseason as well. He had the option to exercise his $6 million player option, but chose not to. Because he did that, he lost millions.
Thompson and his team don't have much leverage here. Odds are, no other team in the NBA will give him a contract worth more than $90 million. Thompson is a great rebounder, but he lacks scoring and he's not a complete player. With the $80 million offer off the table, Thompson may be playing for a new team next season, and he may have made a big financial mistake.
Follow Damon Salvadore on Twitter @DamonSalvadore1