The Cleveland Cavaliers' growing interest in Russian big man Sasha Kaun might not just be coming from their desire to beef up their frontline, it might also indicate that they are now moving on from Tristan Thompson saga.
In a report by Northeast Ohio Media Group, general manager David Griffin, head coach David Blatt and several members of the Cavs front office had a dinner with Kaun in Las Vegas Friday night.
The purpose of the meeting was to initiate an exploratory talk regarding a potential jump to the NBA by Kaun, who is fresh from his best statistical year (13.7 points and 4.5 rebounds in 20 minutes per game) of his career with Russian hoops powerhouse CSKA Moscow.
"The Cavs control Kaun's NBA rights and could pay him at least the veteran's minimum of $525,000, in addition to the roughly $1.3 million left of the team's taxpayer's salary cap exception, if they so chose. They invited Kaun to Las Vegas to start the dialogue about possibly playing for Cleveland next season," according to Cleveland.com.
Kaun, who was spotted watching a Summer League game with LeBron James, has previously addressed his intention of playing in the NBA, regardless of the amount of money on the table.
The Cavaliers' interest in Kaun, who played with Cavs center Timofey Mozgov for the Blatt-coached Russian team in the 2012 Olympics, has all the potential to become a game-changing scenario, especially for Thompson.
After signing Iman Shumpert, Kevin Love, and James to lucrative deals, the Cavaliers are facing an enormous tax bill that could go up to $90 million.
While owner Dan Gilbert are giving his front-office the full extent of authority to acquire all the pieces needed to put the Cavs in title-contention once again next season, the ordeal they have gone through to get a still disgruntled Thompson on the same page despite already overpaying him by millions (five-year, $85 million deal) might have pushed the Cavs far enough to find other options elsewhere.
It's no secret James has been lobbying to get back Thompson, whatever it takes. However, with the enormous tax bill coming in and the prospect of getting a talented big man in Kaun at a bargain price, the Cavs moving on without Thompson might be a far-fetched scenario at this moment.
Parting ways with the Cavs won’t be the end of the world for Thompson, who could still get the money he’s looking for elsewhere. The Portland Trail Blazers have the cap space (around $23 million via Basketball Insiders) to sign Thompson to a max deal following the departure of LaMarcus Aldridge and then their failed bid to snatch Enes Kanter from the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Blazers may be the best thing to happen for Thompson, even better than re-signing with the Cavs, because the team will not only give him the money but the opportunity to become its cornerstone alongside All-Star playmaker Damian Lillard.