Tristan Thompson conspiracy theories

[toooskies]

It just seems weird that he hasn't signed yet (for the Cavs, or for anyone else). Everyone had said earlier that Lebron wouldn't sign till after TT, and that didn't happen. So what's going on here? Some improbable possibilities:

- Cavs plan on bringing TT back this year under the RFA tender to save on their tax bill, and give him a max deal NEXT year with the bigger cap? For all we know, Gilbert said "I can't give you $16 million this year, it'll cost me $50 million." And Rich Paul said, "OK, but if TT doesn't get a max deal next year, you lose Lebron." Thus Lebron going back with his high-leverage deal. Lebron might even be in favor of this arrangement, if it means the Cavs can turn Haywood's contract into something valuable instead of just letting the Cavs cut their own salary.
- TT is in line to get an offer from Portland, now that Kanter has opted back in. Or someone else. He's just waiting for another team to offer him a contract. This may be problematic, because he'll get more money from the Cavs than anyone.
- The Cavs want to wait because they still need to resolve Haywood/JR Smith, and then they'll know how much money they can spend this year.

Point is, I can't believe the Cavs are still negotiating dollars or option years-- the bank was open for all the other FAs on the Cavs. Something funny must be going on.

[tidho]

The LeBron stuff was likely coming from Rich Paul rather than LeBron himself. Paul was likely making that play in hopes of a quick cash in, and he's also likely responsible for the original 5 year $80M rumor. Paul couldn't control how long LeBron dragged his feet because of the movie press tour though.

The Cavaliers will bring Tristan back. I can't imagine we'd have a problem giving a 24yo on the rise all five years. I think he just wants more money than he's actually worth, and the Cavaliers have no real reason to rush to give it to him.

[ballislife]

Tristan was "super pumped" for long-time friend/National Team running mate Cory Joseph, said it's every Canadian's dream to be a Raptor

What would the Cavs wants for TT from the Raptors?

[OsuCavsfan103]

Perhaps double T just wants too much. He is not worth the max, there is no real reason he should be making over 10million a season.

We have no reason to rush, we either talk him down, or someone else tries to buy him and we match. I highly doubt anyone will go much higher on him, and we can just match anyhow so might as well try our best lowering the price.

[Scoot McGroot]

Perhaps double T just wants too much. He is not worth the max, there is no real reason he should be making over 10million a season.

We have no reason to rush, we either talk him down, or someone else tries to buy him and we match. I highly doubt anyone will go much higher on him, and we can just match anyhow so might as well try our best lowering the price.

After seeing the market set this summer, I certainly think Tristan is worth well over $10m. Ultimately, I think it's best for Cleveland to get him signed this summer rather than getting him to take the QO and enter unrestricted free agency next summer when around 25 teams would have cap space to offer him a max salary, and you would have no ability to match it. His QO is just shy of $7m, and his max this year is right around $16.75m. His max salary next summer would be around $20.25m. It's not out of the realm of possibilities he takes the QO this year, and knows that teams will have too much money to spend next summer with not enough people to spend it on, and that it wouldn't be hard to make up the $9m or so he's losing this year by taking the QO by signing a max offer elsewhere next summer.


Now, with all that said, I truly think that Cleveland is committed to a max this summer or darn close, and that that's not the issue. I imagine the issue lies more with when and who any options on the contract belong to, trade kicker, etc. All the other ancillary issues.

[toooskies]

After seeing the market set this summer, I certainly think Tristan is worth well over $10m. Ultimately, I think it's best for Cleveland to get him signed this summer rather than getting him to take the QO and enter unrestricted free agency next summer when around 25 teams would have cap space to offer him a max salary, and you would have no ability to match it. His QO is just shy of $7m, and his max this year is right around $16.75m. His max salary next summer would be around $20.25m. It's not out of the realm of possibilities he takes the QO this year, and knows that teams will have too much money to spend next summer with not enough people to spend it on, and that it wouldn't be hard to make up the $9m or so he's losing this year by taking the QO by signing a max offer elsewhere next summer.


Now, with all that said, I truly think that Cleveland is committed to a max this summer or darn close, and that that's not the issue. I imagine the issue lies more with when and who any options on the contract belong to, trade kicker, etc. All the other ancillary issues.

Say that the Cavs have $75 over 5 years on the table. If he waits a year, the Cavs could easily offer 84/5, and almost certainly more than that, and pay less in tax regardless. But just as no one was looking to sign TT this year in RFA, not a ton of teams will look for him next year either. He's a complementary piece that fits multiple roles on D but doesn't do a lot on offense except rebound. He's worth 15% of the cap at most, which means going forward he'll be worth $15m/year, but not until 2016. Certainly not when the Cavs are spending so freaking much on tax.

[jbk1234]

Tristan was "super pumped" for long-time friend/National Team running mate Cory Joseph, said it's every Canadian's dream to be a Raptor

What would the Cavs wants for TT from the Raptors?

It would have to start with Bismack and you guys can't trade him until December. TT would lose his Bird rights if he was traded while playing on the Q.O. so I have a tough time seeing a deal unless it's a S&T next summer.

[jbk1234]

There is no conspiracy at issue here. TT turned down $80 million because he thinks he's entitled to Draymond Green money. The market won't pay that this summer but it might next summer.

[OsuCavsfan103]

Perhaps double T just wants too much. He is not worth the max, there is no real reason he should be making over 10million a season.

We have no reason to rush, we either talk him down, or someone else tries to buy him and we match. I highly doubt anyone will go much higher on him, and we can just match anyhow so might as well try our best lowering the price.

After seeing the market set this summer, I certainly think Tristan is worth well over $10m. Ultimately, I think it's best for Cleveland to get him signed this summer rather than getting him to take the QO and enter unrestricted free agency next summer when around 25 teams would have cap space to offer him a max salary, and you would have no ability to match it. His QO is just shy of $7m, and his max this year is right around $16.75m. His max salary next summer would be around $20.25m. It's not out of the realm of possibilities he takes the QO this year, and knows that teams will have too much money to spend next summer with not enough people to spend it on, and that it wouldn't be hard to make up the $9m or so he's losing this year by taking the QO by signing a max offer elsewhere next summer.


Now, with all that said, I truly think that Cleveland is committed to a max this summer or darn close, and that that's not the issue. I imagine the issue lies more with when and who any options on the contract belong to, trade kicker, etc. All the other ancillary issues.

Sorry I should have been more clear, TT isn't worth more than 10 million a year before this summer. Unfortunately with the new cap spending spree coming soon, the market this summer was expanded like crazy, guys are cashing in very well over what they usually would have gotten previous years, cap increase ignored.

I hope CLE doesn't give him more than 13 million this season, he isn;t going anywhere, we need to realize this, we hold the upper hand here no question.

[ohio]

he could take the QO and become UFA next year.

[Scoot McGroot]

I hope CLE doesn't give him more than 13 million this season, he isn;t going anywhere, we need to realize this, we hold the upper hand here no question.

I would agree in that you can ensure he plays with you this year, no matter what.

However, I would greatly disagree in that the circumstances of the massive cap jump play into Tristan's hands, not the Cavaliers. The fact that something around 25 teams will have max cap space next summer play into his hands; especially so when you consider that there are a limited number of guys to take that money. A team doesn't need Bird rights to sign Tristan, as they may have in the past. He'll have massive negotiating leverage next summer. And, with a pretty darned high QO this summer (almost $7m), he's not taking a massive risk to play out his QO, and can quickly make it back in the future.

[toooskies]

But there isn't much room for growth for TT in the next year. He'll get fewer minutes with Love/Mozgov/Varejao all in the rotation. He's not getting the ball on offense. So the only way he increases in value is if he makes a giant leap on D. He'd need to make an all-defensive team, which he can't do unless he suddenly becomes a rim protector.

I'm just not convinced that TT is the answer for any team out there. He does some things better than other players, and he doesn't have many weaknesses. But he's also not going to be the difference between a 40 win team and a 50 win team. He's the 5th best player on a good team, and most teams can't pay 15% or more of the cap on their 5th best player. Toronto can't do it when they need to sign Derozan and Valanciunas to bigger contracts than TT's, and Thompson doesn't make them that much better.

Maybe Thompson has more leverage than we think. If he signs for $14 million per year somewhere else, maybe the Cavs just won't want to pay him because of this year's tax. Gilbert seemed to be made of money, but on the other hand, Dellavedova is going to cost him $15 million this year unless they can trim the bottom line somewhere else.

So maybe it's a question of deciding on the competition window. If TT takes the QO, then we can realistically bring back JR and Delly too, and we're All In for next year. If TT signs elsewhere or we ink him to a big contract, we might not see JR or Delly on the team next year, and we're fighting for long-term contention instead of short-term results.

[jbk1234]

he could take the QO and become UFA next year.

I'd be just fine with that.

[endo]

Would Cleveland do a Tristan Thompson sign and trade for

Patrick Patterson, James Johnson, Lucas Nogeria and the Raps 2016 first rounder?


c-Mozgov/Varajao
pf-Love/Patterson
sf-James/Johnson
sg-Shumpert/Williams
pg-Irving/Deledova

[ohio]

Would Cleveland do a Tristan Thompson sign and trade for

Patrick Patterson, James Johnson, Lucas Nogeria and the Raps 2016 first rounder?


c-Mozgov/Varajao
pf-Love/Patterson
sf-James/Johnson
sg-Shumpert/Williams
pg-Irving/Deledova

are you guys willing to give him a max or something?

[OsuCavsfan103]

I hope CLE doesn't give him more than 13 million this season, he isn;t going anywhere, we need to realize this, we hold the upper hand here no question.

I would agree in that you can ensure he plays with you this year, no matter what.

However, I would greatly disagree in that the circumstances of the massive cap jump play into Tristan's hands, not the Cavaliers. The fact that something around 25 teams will have max cap space next summer play into his hands; especially so when you consider that there are a limited number of guys to take that money. A team doesn't need Bird rights to sign Tristan, as they may have in the past. He'll have massive negotiating leverage next summer. And, with a pretty darned high QO this summer (almost $7m), he's not taking a massive risk to play out his QO, and can quickly make it back in the future.

That's fine let him be a FA next year. He plays this next season like he did in the playoffs and then we can talk. He has a ton of work to do on the offensive end. I don't want to see him go, but there comes a time players and their agents value themselves way higher than they actually should be getting, and I am not one to overpay like crazy on those guys. If next year he wants to leave the bond he has with CLE and the team that contends to go get paid big, well good luck to him, but seeing the FA class next year, he isn't anywhere near a big name FA to be sought after compared to some of those guys.

[toooskies]

Would Cleveland do a Tristan Thompson sign and trade for

Patrick Patterson, James Johnson, Lucas Nogeria and the Raps 2016 first rounder?


c-Mozgov/Varajao
pf-Love/Patterson
sf-James/Johnson
sg-Shumpert/Williams
pg-Irving/Deledova

I don't think that deal works for either team. Cavs still need a 3rd-string C in case of injury. Thompson played that role a ton last year. The deal only works on the Cavs' end if they get someone who can slide over to C, situationally. So you need to work out the #1 + Haywood for someone else. And that's a three-team deal most likely, unless the team cutting salary is letting go of a pretty good player.

Toronto probably doesn't do it because it doesn't make sense to spend a #1 draft pick for the right to overpay TT. And it definitely doesn't make sense to also sacrifice depth at the same time.

[No-Man]

This is Bledsoe 2.0, he is going to get close to what he wants late in the summer, he wont get 82m$, but he probably will get something like 75m$ or so.
Even with the new CBA he is not worth nowhere near that money, absolut max I'd throw at him is 40m$ per 3 years or so.

[No-Man]

- TT is in line to get an offer from Portland, now that Kanter has opted back in. Or someone else. He's just waiting for another team to offer him a contract. This may be problematic, because he'll get more money from the Cavs than anyone.

no one in the league wants to pay TT nowhere near close what he wants, only the Cavs might and it is because of LeBron

[No-Man]

There is no conspiracy at issue here. TT turned down $80 million because he thinks he's entitled to Draymond Green money. The market won't pay that this summer but it might next summer.

eh, no it wont, with Andy and Love back I have a hard time seeing Thompson playingf more than 20minpg.

He is a role player, and a bench big, the best in the game, but he is not worth, nowhere near 80m$, and no one is paying him that, nor this summer, nor next one.