The stand-off between Tristan Thompson and the Cleveland Cavaliers continues and there seems to be no immediate end in sight.
Thompson's agent Rich Paul is going to the media to declare their stern position to accept nothing less than the maximum offer which would amount to about 94 million over 5 years. The reported offer from Cleveland is 80 million over the same time period.
LeBron James doesn't seem to be swaying the Cavs to cave in to their agent's demands and it leaves them to take the qualifying offer and become an unrestricted free agent next year.
Paul's recent declaration that three teams are ready to offer the max according to a tweet by Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops had some observers dismissing it as a bluff. But NBC Sports thinks there is a chance for that to happen.
"Thompson might draw a max contract as an unrestricted free agent next summer after accepting the qualifying offer," NBC surmised. "Teams will collectively have more cap space than they know what to do with thanks to the new national TV deals. Player contracts will escalate quickly. Thompson is young and productive enough to warrant max consideration."
Which are the three teams Paul's referring to? The season has yet to start and we haven't seen what Tristan Thompson would be like, but basing on salaries and an interest to fortify the power forward position, we can speculate. Being interested in Tristan is a possibility but the idea of actually offering the max is yet to be determined.
The Toronto Raptors could be a candidate, even though the salary cap situation may not be as cut and dry. Nevertheless, it's hard to count out former Executive of the Year Masai Ujiri if he really has his sights set on a player.
The Portland Trail Blazers have been blasted back to rebuilding mode and they lost their resident power forward in LaMarcus Aldridge. If they see Tristan Thompson as a potential replacement (this is a stretch, though), they can offer him the max with their cap situation.
The Boston Celtics have a logjam at power forward, but all of them are on expiring contracts based on Hoops Hype salary records, even Amir Johnson is on a team option. Rumors have Jared Sullinger and Tyler Zeller being up for extensions swirl, but until they are signed it can be perceived as trade value ploys since Sullinger has also been reportedly shopped.
The Celts, if they see Thompson as a building block, can offer a max. TT is probably better than anyone they have at the position right now, and he has a full season to build that up.