Cavaliers’ Tristan Thompson In Line For Huge Contract This Offseason
Soon-to-be free agent Tristan Thompson has picked a very fortunate time to show how valuable he can be to an NBA franchise, as the Cleveland Cavaliers are finding out.
Thompson, the Cavs’ 6-foot-9 power forward off the bench, may not score every game. Heck, he might not even take shots, as was the case in Game 2 against the Celtics, but his ability to create extra possessions and be a high-energy player could mean a huge contract this offseason.
ESPN writer Brian Windhorst speculated on the type of contract Thompson could demand this summer, adding there will be a number of teams lining up trying to pry the former fourth overall pick away from Cleveland (26:11):
“The Cavs made a mistake by not giving him his contract last fall, because I’ve already talked to some general managers who are like, ‘I may go after this guy.’ There’s one team, I know for sure, that I’m not going to talk about right now, but I’ve talked to their front office and they absolutely want to make a run at Tristan this summer,” Windhorst said.
Thompson is grabbing 4.7 offensive boards per game ,which is fourth among players competing in the playoffs. He averaged 3.3 boards per game during the regular season, which was fifth in the NBA.
If you take a time machine back to the fall, remember, the Cavs were negotiating with Thompson, who is represented by LeBron James‘ agent, Rich Paul.
The Cavs ended up extending Anderson Varejao for $10 million per season around the same time, but the talks with Thompson ended without a deal–and now it may cost owner Dan Gilbert.
Windhorst said that because of Thompson’s value, and with the salary cap rising 50 percent over the next three years, TT could be in line for a contract similar to that of Nikola Vucevic, who will average $12 million per season when his extension with the Orlando Magic kicks in next season.
Thompson could even command more–perhaps in the $13-$15 million range, and Windhorst believes the Cavs “can” and “will” keep the big man because of his knack for grabbing offensive boards.
Windhorst said (27:12)
"“I think that’s the range. The Cavs probably saw him, a year ago, as a $10 million-a-year player. Now i think he’s going to be a $13-$14 million-a-year player, which is a lot of money, crazy money to pay for a guy who’s a backup. But i just think he’ so valuable and there’s going to be such a market for him that the Cavs are just going to have to pay him.”"
If Thompson gets this type of money, everybody is going to look at the fact that he’s a No. 4 overall pick, who doesn’t score. Could the Cavs money be spent elsewhere?
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Perhaps, but remember, the organization and David Griffin are huge on finding players who fit. Currently, the team doesn’t need another scorer with James, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love and J.R. Smith on board.
Thompson is so valuable because he doesn’t need to be the No. 2 guy on the roster. He can come off the bench and bust major havoc on the offensive glass, which is a nightmare for the opposition during the playoffs. When you’re a team that already possesses weapons, as the Cavs do, Thompson is a luxury, and luxuries usually come at a high price.
What type of average figure per season do you think Tristan Thompson deserves?