Deadline for Tristan Thompson, Cavaliers contract is here
Restricted free-agent forward Tristan Thompson, who has not reported to camp and is not signed for 2015-16 or beyond, has options.
And one of those options is rare in today’s NBA: Thompson could hold out.
It’s a prospect that’s not as farfetched as it sounds.
Here’s why: participants in both sides of this protracted contract discussion are strong-willed negotiators who know what they want in a deal and are steadfast in their attempt to get the desired contract.
Klutch Sports’ Rich Paul, who represents Thompson and LeBron James, and the Cavaliers aren’t the first sides to disagree on terms of a contract. But relevant history on each side of this negotiation should be taken into account: both sides have connections to previous holdouts.
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In 2007, Anderson Varejao was – just as Thompson is now – a restricted free agent with the Cavaliers, and Varejao held out the first 21 games. Varejao, one of the NBA’s last most notable holdouts, signed an offer sheet with the Charlotte Bobcats, and the Cavs matched.
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Cavs owner Dan Gilbert proved then and may prove again that he is unwilling to consent to contract demands he doesn’t want to pay.
Klutch Sports wants a specific deal for its client, and keep this in mind: veteran agent Mark Termini assists Klutch Sports in contract negotiations, and Termini is regarded as a knowledgeable, tough and patient negotiator.
Termini also was involved in a holdout. Twenty-three years ago, No. 4 overall pick Jim Jackson was a holdout and didn’t sign with the Dallas Mavericks until March of 1993, missing nearly 65% of his rookie season.
Why would Thompson hold out instead of signing the one-year, $6.8 million qualifying offer which would allow him to become a free agent after this season? Taking the qualifying offer route, which Greg Monroe did a year ago, is risky, and it’s not palatable for a player looking for a huge deal.
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(A noteworthy aside: Say Thompson sat out an entire season, he would not become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2016.)
The deadline to sign the qualifying offer is today. The Cavs could have extended the deadline but declined to that. If Thompson doesn’t sign by 11:59 p.m. ET Thursday, the two sides can continue to negotiate. Another team can still present Thompson with an offer sheet until March 1, and the Cavs still have the right to match that offer and retain Thompson.
What if Thompson sat out the entire season? The Cavs could extend another qualifying offer before June 30, and the process
On media day Monday, Cavaliers general manager David Griffin said he would have preferred to have had a deal done with Thompson in July. It’s October, and there’s no deal. On Thursday, Griffin told NBA TV he expects Thompson to be in camp on Friday. The two sides to need to bridge a sizable, but not insurmountable gap, for that to happen.
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What makes this negotiation stranger is that ESPN reported on July 1 that Thompson and the Cavaliers were close to an agreement on a five-year, $80 million contract. Thompson wants max or near-max money, and that is more than the Cavaliers are willing to pay. So, they’re stuck.
ESPN reported last week that Thompson would be willing to sign a three-year, $53 million deal, but the Cavs aren’t interested in that. It’s still max money for three seasons, impacts the Cavs’ tax bill and a shorter deal makes it more difficult to move that contract with potential suitors knowing Thompson would become a free agent sooner rather than later. Also, the value of a max deal for teams is at the end of the contract.
The Cavaliers want Thompson to return at their price (and perhaps they’re willing to go a little higher with their offer), and Thompson wants to return at his price, making a holdout more possible.