The impasse might be over. Reports claim that Tristan Thompson has agreed to a shorter deal that is not the max, but higher than the Cavs offer.
According to a series of tweets from ESPN's Chris Broussard,
"NBA SOURCES CONFIRM AGENT RICH PAUL WILL HAVE TRISTAN THOMPSON SIGN A 3 YEAR - $53 MILLION CONTRACT WITH CAVS." (caps from source)
"Sources: Tristan Thompson is WILLING to sign a 3-year, $53 million deal with the Cavs. Cavs have not yet agreed to the deal."
"Story is that Thompson has lowered his demand from 5 yr/$94 max to 3 years/$53 million"
"Great deal for Tristan Thompson, who gets more than $17 mill per year. Cavs' biggest lingering question of the offseason is answered"
The key here is that this is a counter-offer from Rich Paul that he will have Tristan Thompson agree to. Now, the ball is in the Cavaliers' court on whether they will agree to these terms.
Thus, based on the tweets, it is Thompson's camp who caved, not the Cavaliers. This deal would only be slightly higher than the $ 80 million/5 year offer from the Cavs where Thompson would get about $ 16 million average annually. It seems like a midpoint from their demand of $ 94 million/5 years.
The caveat is that Thompson can become a free agent again, presumably on the third year, if there is a player option specified.
It is presumed that one factor that tilted the odds in the Cavs favor was LeBron James distancing himself from the negotiations. From Cleveland.com's Joe Vardon:
"But a source close to James said Thompson's contract is a 'non-discussion right now' for James as it relates to his own future, and a team source said the Cavs believe "LeBron's goals don't change relative to Tristan Thompson or anyone," Vardon claimed, and he concluded that LBJ wants to "be as good as we can be for as long as we can be."
James would be smart enough not to sacrifice his brand by holding the Cavs fans (and basically the city of Cleveland) hostage again just for Thompson's sake-especially since there is a fair offer on the table.