LeBron James' leverage over the Cleveland Cavaliers, at least as it pertains to Tristan Thompson's future, is not absolute.
Thompson, a restricted free agent, is now willing to sign his qualifying offer rather than a new long-term deal with the Cavaliers, according to Sportsnet's Michael Grange. The qualifying offer is worth nearly $6.8 million and essentially acts as a one-year contract, allowing the 24-year-old forward to enter unrestricted free agency next summer, when the salary cap is set to jump by roughly $20 million.
Traveling this route would allow Thompson to leave Cleveland in 2016 if he so chooses. And as his agent Rich Paul told Grange, that's exactly what Thompson intends to do:
Players don't typically eschew the security of a long-term pact for the right to control their own destiny the following summer. But this scenario was once inconceivable for other reasons.
Thompson proved pivotal to the Cavaliers' NBA Finals run. He was thrust into the starting lineup after Kevin Love suffered a season-ending shoulder injury against the Boston Celtics in the first round and finished ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NBA
Article written by Dan Favale
Tristan Thompson’s Contract Standoff Reveals Limits of LeBron James’ Leverage
August 10th, 2015 by Dan Favale Leave a reply »
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