Is Tristan Thompson worth more than $80 million? Details and Analysis here!

Tristan ThompsonTristan Thompson and the Cleveland Cavaliers seem to be worlds apart as of to date and if things don’t turn out in favor of the 24-year-old forward, it may just be his final year in the Cleveland Cavaliers.

To recall, Thompson was offered an $80 million contract spread over five years but it seems that the former fourth overall draft pick from the 2011 NBA Draft wants more.

According to reports, Thompson was seeking a deal a bit higher than that which is about $94 million. So now the debate is up in the air – is Thompson worth that much?

The Texas standout undoubtedly stepped up last season, particularly in the NBA playoffs when Kevin Love went down on account of a shoulder injury. He upped his production to 9.6 points and 10.8 rebounds per game (almost a double-double) compared to his regular season numbers of 8.5 ppg and 8.0 rpg.

Given that Thompson showed vast improvement, does it follow that he is among the ranks of top forwards worthy of getting a max deal?

It seems that Thompson’s yardstick is the offers that other players have been getting. Many will agree that such may be justified while others will say nay.

The Canadian basketball player is indeed valuable but for some reason but perhaps not yet (at least in our opinion) worth of a max deal. It may all depend if he can prove he deserves one next season, whether it be with the Cavs or somewhere else.

As things stand now, Thompson is likely to end up signing a one-year deal worth $6.8 million with the Cavs. He is a restricted free agent and thus far there are no teams who have really shown interest in Thompson. But the twist is that his agent, Rich Paul, made it known that should that be the case, it will be Thompson’s last year in Cleveland and that he will take his act elsewhere next season.

Is that a threat? Is it a good move?

Well, maybe and maybe not. Maybe – because Thompson could cash in on the expected hike in the NBA salary cap which may hit $90 million by next season. That would mean that Thompson could get bigger money.

Not because Thompson may not have yet fully evolved to his potential to bargain for such an enormous deal. Of course that is a risk that the Cavs or any other team will have to take but given the Cavs lineup, would it not be better focusing on someone else or getting a forward for smaller value?

Things get a bit interesting here. Thompson and LeBron James have the same agent in Rich Paul and everyone knows how James is batting for Thompson to be re-signed. In fact before James officially re-signed, recall that he made it a requirement for the Cavs to prioritize the other players from last year before signing his own contract.

Curiously, James signed earlier than Thompson though many had expected the 6-foot-9 forward to sign next. It never happened.

So assuming that Thompson signs for one-year and then leaves next season, how will it impact the relationship of James and the Cavaliers? And so the Cavaliers dramatic story continues.

Is Tristan Thompson worth more than $80 million?
 
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