Cavaliers general manager David Griffin said he expected Tristan Thompson at practice today.
But Griffin probably didn’t expect Thompson to let his qualifying offer expire last night without signing it or Cleveland’s long-term offer.
So, they remain at an impasse.
Chris Haynes of Cleveland.com:
For those wondering, Tristan Thompson has not reported to practice with #Cavs. No deal, no show.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) October 2, 2015
Thompson isn’t practicing without a contract. In fact, NBA rules forbid it.
But I figured there was at least a chance Griffin knew something that would lead to Thompson signing in time for practice. Turns out, like most of us, he clearly didn’t believe Thompson and agent Rich Paul would take the incredibly risky step of letting the qualifying offer expire without signing.
To take it a step further, I wonder how prepared Griffin is for this scenario. The leverage has swung considerably back toward Cleveland, and he can take his time to assesses options. But this could signal these negotiations will drag out for a while.
