The lengthy stalemate between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Tristan Thompson has finally ended.
Cleveland.com reports that the team and forward agreed to a five-year, $82 million deal that should keep the big man in Cleveland while the team has an excellent shot at winning an NBA title.
Thompson raised eyebrows when he turned down a 4-year, $48 million extension at the beginning of last season. However, he turned in excellent play as he began to see more playing time, and his agent was able to use that as leverage in negotiations. What also worked in his favor was having LeBron James insist that the team bring him back. Since the two are represented by the same agent, they were able to be on the same page for all proceedings.
One of the holdups in the Thompson negotiations was the Cavaliers’ status concerning the salary cap. Because the Cavs are so far over the cap, every dollar the team pays Thompson costs them about triple in the luxury tax (it’s all detailed in this post).
Cleveland.com reports that with the Thompson signing, the Cavs will have the highest payroll in NBA history. It’s money well spent if they can bring home an NBA championship. And when you have LeBron James on your roster, you always have a chance to win it all.
