While critics of Tristan Thompson say he's asking for too much, Cleveland's title hopes may rest on his shoulders.
On different occasions, former NBA player and current analyst Jalen Rose has declared that the Cleveland Cavaliers will not win a championship if Tristan Thompson is not in their fold.
Rose mentioned that in his podcast, Jalen and Jacoby in Grantland and more specifically in this HuffPost Live video where he addressed a fan question.
The former member of Michigan's Fab Five noted that the Cleveland Cavaliers may be the best team in the East, but they are only the 6th best in the NBA-with Tristan. If they are to win an NBA title, they will have to face a top team in the West, all of them with loaded frontlines.
Rose noted Thompson's rim protection, rebounding and youth will give the Cavs a "much different look" than when Kevin Love, Timofey Mozgov or Anderson Varejao is on the floor.
The Cavs will still win a ton of regular season games even without Thompson, but in the Finals where losing one game makes a big difference, Thompson's skills are needed, as shown in last season's playoffs.
Fansite King James Gospel also discussed this question. They argue that while Thompson is important, he is not irreplaceable. If the Cavs frontline falls short early in the season, the Cavs have trump cards in the form of trade exceptions that they can use to obtain a suitable replacement.
KJG also commended their GM, David Griffin, for standing firm despite agent Rich Paul's tactics.
"The one thing that Rich Paul has overlooked is that G.M. David Griffin realizes to be consistently in title contention the team must spend wisely with not only a 'win now' mentality, but a look towards next year and the year after that always trying to make the team better."
While the Cavs obviously want to win now, they should not jeopardize their future. GMs have lost their jobs when they hedge all their bets on one title run and leave the team in shambles if they fail. Griffin does not want to belong on that list.
Despite Rose's pronouncements, the Cavs answer on whether they should cave in to Tristan Thompson's demands for a max contract is still a firm "no."