Report: Cavaliers didn’t pull Tristan Thompson’s five-year, $80 million offer

The Cavaliers reportedly pulled their five-year, $80 million offer to Tristan Thompson once he let the qualifying offer expire.

Or not.

Chris Haynes of Cleveland.com:

Cleveland’s offer is still in the ballpark of five years for $80 million, give or take. The Cavs did not withdraw the offer once the qualifying-offer deadline passed.

I don’t know which is the case, but Haynes has been plugged into this situation all along. I tend to trust him.

As long as the sides aren’t talking, though, this means only so much.

Something will have to give. Either Thompson must accept less than his desired max, or Cleveland must offer more.

Pulling the $80 million offer probably would have made sense in a vacuum. The Cavs had to pay in order to prevent Thompson from accepting the qualifying offer, which would have made him an unrestricted free agent next year. With that scenario off the table, they hold significantly more leverage.

But this is where LeBron James – who shares an agent, Rich Paul, with Thompson – comes into play. His presence can keep negotiations cordial.

There still might be a long road to a deal, but if an $80 million offer is still on the table, Thompson and the Cavaliers are much closer to a resolution.