Restricted free agent Tristan Thompson, who has already rejected a five-year, $80MM contract offer from the Cavaliers this offseason, also nixed a four-year, $52MM extension offer from the team last fall. The power forward’s agent, Rich Paul, has reportedly informed the Cavs that his client would not put pen to paper on a new deal unless it was a maximum salary arrangement, and that Thompson would be OK with signing his one-year qualifying offer worth $6,777,589 if a deal can’t be worked out between the two sides prior to the deadline in October.
One reason that Thompson is reportedly willing to risk playing without the security of a long-term pact in 2015/16 is that Paul believes he can wrangle a max deal out of the Raptors next offseason, as was noted by Bleacher Report’s Ric Bucher. Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops had previously broached the possibility of Thompson, a native Canadian, joining the Raptors in 2016/17. Raptors GM Masai Ujiri has stated that he considers it a priority to add Canadian born players to the team, which obviously makes Thompson a natural target for the franchise.
This brings me to the topic for the day: Which would be a better situation for Tristan Thompson long-term, re-signing with the Cavaliers or joining the Raptors next Summer?
Would the young forward be better served to remain a key reserve in Cleveland, and have the opportunity to chase NBA titles for as long as LeBron James is still on the roster? Or would he be better served to chase the bigger dollars and a likely role as a starter for the Raptors back in his country of birth? Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the matter. We look forward to what you have to say.
He’s over playing his hand…. He’s a good reserve, but he’s acting like a chump, take the 80 million or work out a max deal with the raptors now and have the cavs sign and trade you… what a chump
He’s not even worth the $80M on the table. If he takes the qualifying offer this year he loses almost $10M this year. He would have to have a fantastic year to get anyone to pay him enough next year to even break even with the $80M for 5 years. And to do that, he will have to learn to shoot. He hasn’t learned to shoot in last four years, don’t see what miracle will happen to make him a shooter this year.
I’m a raptors fan, and the way the team is currently constructed and the league shifting to small ball, I wouldn’t want to sign Thompson to either an 80 mill contract or a max deal this season, let alone what he could get from the raptors next year. I personally would rather run Carroll and JV at the 4 and 5 than have Thompson come in and move Carroll to the 3.
From a Thompson perspective, it would be in his best interest to resign with Cleveland and have the opportunity to win multiple championships with the current team. I understand representing your country, but you can do this at the international stage (which i may add he is absent from).
I have to agree with you here. If you have a chance to win titles with LeBron and carve out a place in history, you do it. Besides, I don’t think there’s any guarantee about the Raptors making him a max offer. That’s 10 months from now. So much can change.
Someone wrote somewhere that in order for the Raptors to give Thompson a max deal, they’d have to renounce their rights to Derozan, Coboclo and Noguiera. I don’t know if that’s true. But if so, helllllzzz no.
Not necessarily, since there are other ways to move salary around. Nogueira and Caboclo would be fairly easy to hang on to. But it would be tough to make it work with DeRozan.
kung rebounding ang paguusapan kaya din yan ni Kevin Love, for me he can go to raptors if he wants more money, but if he wants championship, accept the role in cavs.
This is sort of a mini-Lebron decision here. Play on the stacked teams and get rings or play for the hometown/country and be a hero…
Except Thompson isn’t good enough to be a hero for any team. He’s good, I really like him. Met him at a Chipotle in ValleyView and he was really nice. But this is all Rich Paul thinking too big IMO.