The Cleveland Cavaliers and Tristan Thompson have still not been able to agree on a contract and LeBron James called the situation a distraction as the team starts up the preseason. James has Kevin Love as the starter, but Thompson is a key part of the team and this comes as players Kyrie Irving and Iman Shumpert will be out for a period of time with injuries.
The Cavaliers and Thompson were talking a deal all summer, but the two sides could not reach an agreement. According to Cleveland.com, Thompson initially was asking for a max deal, which the Cavs did not want to offer, and he later was reportedly open to signing a shorter deal, but one that would pay him over $15 million per season. Thompson did not report to practice with the team last week and now the Cavaliers are preparing for the season in camp and the preseason.
The Cavs signed Kevin Love in the offseason back on a max contract and the team may not want to invest that much money in one position on the roster. Thompson comes in after stepping up in the playoffs while Love was injured and he averaged 8.5 points and 8.0 rebounds per game last season. According to ESPN.com, James was asked about the situation and he said that the contract issue is a "distraction" and the team is trying to make a "championship run.
All of this comes as Iman Shumpert will be out a few months after having wrist surgery, while Kyrie Irving does not have a return date set after having knee surgery this summer. The Cavs are hopeful he can return sometime in November or December. The Cavaliers are working to bring back Thompson on a contract, but it doesn't look like things are close to getting done. The team signed back JR Smith on a deal and that came after rumors about a potential Jamal Crawford trade.
The Cavs added Sasha Kaun and brought in Quinn Cook on a camp deal and the team also signed Richard Jefferson and Mo Williams as strong depth options. Williams could start with Irving out along with Matthew Dellavedova. The Cavaliers and Thompson have not been talking much as of late according to reports after working on a deal for most of the summer. Early on there was a report that a deal was agreed on in July, but that did not end up happening. According to Steve Kyler at Basketball Insiders, the Cavaliers offered a five year deal around $80 million to Thompson, but that was rejected by Thompson's camp.
The Cavs have brought in Kaun and that can help with depth and he can help give some size up front along with Timofey Mozgov. Mozgov was a huge boost defensively last season and he helps make up for Love, who is more of an offensive player. The Cavs had Kaun's draft rights and now he is set to make his NBA debut for the team this season. James and the Cavs are hoping to get a deal done soon with Thompson.
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