Tristan Thompson (Photo : Jason Miller / Getty Images Sport)
The stand-off between Tristan Thompson and the Cleveland Cavaliers took a turn for the worse.
The chances of working a compromise got dimmer when it was reported that the Cavaliers have taken the $ 80 million contract offer off the table. Basketball Insiders' Larry Coon mentioned this in his response to a chat question.
"One assumption I think we're safe making is that if there was a big offer sheet waiting for him, he would have signed it by now," Coon explained. "The Cavs were under no obligation to leave their $80 million offer on the table, and from what I heard, pulled it as soon as Thompson's qualifying offer expired. I heard it was Mark Termini doing the actual negotiating, and he has a reputation for taking a really hard stance in negotiations, but I think he seriously miscalculated this one. Maybe he was thinking LeBron would be more of an influence on the team."
While the offer was intact, the gap between the Cavs and Thompson was at $ 14 million. Now, that number could not even be determined.
While it does not mean that the Cavs are no longer interested in Tristan, with the threat of the qualifying offer gone, the Cavs have no one to compete with, as stated by Coon.
The LeBron James' influence was really Thompson and agent Rich Paul's trump card, but for some reason, he did not put his foot down which may be the appropriate response for James' own interest.
The only way for Thompson to exert his value is to make the Cavs' feel his absence and surprisingly, some fansites who disagreed with giving Thompson the max now admit that he's a vital cog. Fear The Sword stated their evaluation.
"The Cavs are hurt and not great in the frontcourt without him. I don't believe the Cavs can win a championship without Tristan Thompson or a replacement. There is no easy scenario for finding a replacement."
While it can both be true that Thompson is not worth a max contract and the Cavs would not win the championship without him, the Cavs' ownership is placed in a quandary. No contender in the East or even the West, for fear of facing them in the Finals, would help the Cavs out with a trade that would make them stronger. This is probably what Thompson is holding on to.
