Tristan Thompson reportedly rejected a five-year, $80 million contract offer from the Cavaliers.
He reportedly wants a max deal, $94,343,125 over five years.
Cleveland’s response?
Chris Haynes of Cleveland.com, via Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors:
Thompson might accept less than the max, or the Cavaliers might increase their offer. But what’s the incentive for either side to budge now?
The deadline for Thompson to accept his qualifying offer his Oct. 1. Communication should heat up closer to then.
I think Thompson is worth less than $80 million to most teams, even with the salary cap skyrocketing. But he has leverage on Cleveland.
Even if the Cavaliers believe LeBron James, who shares an agent with Thompson, won’t leave over this, they project to be over the cap for the foreseeable future whether or not they keep Thompson. They won’t get a similarly valuable player with the mid-level exception. So, the biggest drawback to keeping Thompson would be the real-dollar cost to Dan Gilbert. From a team-building standpoint, they’re better off maxing him out than watching him take the qualifying offer – a real possibility, according to Paul.
On the other hand, an $80 million offer already strikes me as one reliant on that leverage. Thompson could have brought back an offer sheet for Cleveland to match, but he hasn’t.
There are good reasons for both the Cavs to increase their offer and Thompson to settle for what’s currently on the table. That’ll lead to interesting negotiations – eventually.