Tristan Thompson Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Central Notes: James, Jackson, Bucks

July 4th, 2015 at 8:50pm CST by Arthur Hill

LeBron James won’t begin contract talks with the Cavaliers until negotiations with Tristan Thompson are completed, tweets Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. Cleveland is trying to reach a new deal with the 24-year-old, but talks are currently stalled. Thompson and the Cavaliers discussed a deal this week worth more than $80MM.

There’s more from the Central Division:

Free agent guard Reggie Jackson was part of the crowd for the Pistons‘ summer league opener today in Orlando, writes Terry Foster of The Detroit News. Coach/executive Stan Van Gundy said there is no indication Jackson is negotiating with other teams and the team hopes to meet with him soon to work out a new contract. He took Jackson’s presence today as a positive step. “It is a sign he wants to be here,” Van Gundy said.
After they agreed to terms with Greg Monroe earlier this week, Zach Lowe of Grantland believes the Bucks will look to trade away one of their frontcourt players.
The agreement between Khris Middleton and the Bucks came together so fast that other teams didn’t even get a real chance to speak with the 23-year-old, Lowe writes in a separate piece.

Chris Crouse contributed to this post

And-Ones: Kings, Rivers, West

July 2nd, 2015 at 11:10pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Kings blundered when they agreed to a cap-clearing trade with the Sixers before they had a commitment from someone on which they could use that cap flexibility, SB Nation’s Tom Ziller opines. Besides, the Kings aren’t exactly inspiring confidence with primary targets such as Monta Ellis, who’s since agreed to sign with the Pacers, Rajon Rondo and Wesley Matthews, Ziller adds. It’s the latest in a string of puzzling decisions in Sacramento, as SportsBusiness Daily rounds up.

Here’s more from around the league:

Though he didn’t rule out a return to the Clippers, free agent guard Austin Rivers says that he intends to explore his options before making a decision, Marc Stein of ESPN.com relays (Twitter link).
Draymond Green‘s representatives used Tristan Thompson‘s proposed deal with the Cavaliers as a baseline for their negotiations with the Warriors, Sam Amick of USA Today notes (on Twitter). Thompson is reportedly close to landing a deal in the $80MM-$82MM range, Amick adds.
The Warriors promoted Larry Harris to director of player personnel and hired Lachlan Penfold as head of physical performance/sports medicine, Ken Berger of CBSSports.com tweets.
Free agent forward David West is most likely to end up with either the Wizards or the Spurs, Stein tweets.
The Nuggets and unrestricted free agent Darrell Arthur have been engaged in productive talks about a new contract, but no deal appears to be imminent, Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post writes. Arthur has drawn interest from several teams across the league, including the Pistons and Wizards, Dempsey notes.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Free Agency Rumors: LeBron, Cavs, Leonard

June 30th, 2015 at 10:51pm CST by Zachary Links

A league source told Joe Vardon of the Northeast Ohio Media Group that the Cavs “do not value” pending free agent J.R. Smith. LeBron James reportedly wants the Cavs to re-sign the guard, so one has to wonder if that could outweigh the team’s reservations about him. Vardon adds that it is not known if the Cavs will immediately submit offers to James, Kevin Love, and Tristan Thompson when the clock moves past midnight. Here’s more as we get set for the start of free agency..

There’s a growing belief that Thompson’s postseason performance coupled with his ties to LeBron could earn him a max contract or something close to it, Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon-Journal writes. Lloyd also writes that the Cavs were aware that Iman Shumpert would be seeking a ~$10MM per year deal this summer when the acquired him.
Spurs star Kawhi Leonard is on track for five-year, ~$90MM max deal after San Antonio takes care of other free agency business, Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express News tweets. It was previously believed that Leonard was in line for a lucrative four-year deal rather than five.
Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki will join the team’s recruiting contingent in Wednesday’s meetings with DeAndre Jordan and LaMarcus Aldridge, Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com tweets.
James Harden will join coach Kevin McHale, GM Daryl Morey and executive VP Gersson Rosas in the Rockets‘ meeting with LaMarcus Aldridge Tuesday night in Los Angeles, a source tells Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
The Knicks‘ selection of Kristaps Porzingis may scare free agents away, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. “They took a Latvian guy who may or may not be good,’’ an individual connected to a free agent said. “It’s very strange. They should’ve taken more of a tried-and-true guy, even a Justise Winslow. Top free agents are looking at winning now. It’s fun to go the playoffs and have a chance to compete for the Finals. They’re not going to win this year.’’

Qualifying Offers: Monday

June 29th, 2015 at 7:58pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Warriors formally made a qualifying offer of $2.725MM to Draymond Green, ensuring the versatile forward will be a restricted free agent, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets. Golden State is expected to match any offer sheet to Green, one of the key players en route to its first championship in 40 seasons. The Pistons, Hawks and Rockets are among the teams expected to pursue Green. The Warriors also extended a qualifying offer of $1.147MM to Ognjen Kuzmic but declined the same amount on Justin Holiday, allowing the shooting guard to become an unrestricted free agent, according to a tweet from Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle.

In other news regarding qualifying offers around the league:

The Cavaliers made qualifying offers to three of their rotation players, allowing Cleveland to match any offer sheet, Pincus reports in a separate tweet. Tristan Thompson ($6.778MM), Matthew Dellavedova ($1.147MM) and Iman Shumpert ($4.334MM) were the players who received them.
The Thunder made a qualifying offer of approximately $7.47MM to Enes Kanter, according to Pincus (Twitter link).
The Jazz gave a qualifying offer of $1.045MM to Joe Ingles and the Timberwolves did the same for about $1.147MM to make Robbie Hummel a restricted free agent, according to Pincus (Twitter links). However, Minnesota declined the same price tag on Justin Hamilton‘s qualifying offer, Darren Wolfson of KSTP.com tweets, allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent.
The Suns made the qualifying offer of $4.79MM to Brandon Knight while his former backcourt partner, the Bucks’ Khris Middleton, got a qualifying offer of $2.275MM, according to Pincus (Twitter links).
The Raptors extended a qualifying offer of $1.829MM to a player who was overseas last season, Nando De Colo, Pincus tweets. De Colo played for CSKA Moscow last season.

LeBron James To Opt Out, Not Planning Quick Deal

June 26th, 2015 at 9:32am CST by Chuck Myron

LeBron James will turn down his player option worth more than $21.573MM, and he doesn’t plan to immediately re-sign with the Cavs, preferring to wait and see how the team goes about its other business in July, reports Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group. Chances are “slim” that James leaves Cleveland again, Haynes writes, but waiting to re-sign gives him a chance to go into a deal with full knowledge of what will surround him, and it keeps pressure on the organization, Haynes writes. The Rich Paul client plans to be “the last domino to fall,” league sources tell Haynes.

GM David Griffin said James is “very much engaged” with the team as he speaks with management on almost a daily basis about the roster, notes Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com. Still, it’s widely known that James won’t meddle in front office affairs or with coach David Blatt and his staff, according to Haynes. The four-time MVP believes other coaches would be better equipped to lead the Cavs to a title, Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson among them, but he nonetheless has no intention to push for a coaching change, as Chris Broussard of ESPN.com said this week (video link).

That James would opt out is not at all surprising, since opting in would entail a financial sacrifice. James will be able to make a salary of at least $21,676,620 next season on a new deal, slightly more than his option would give him, and that figure could grow higher, depending on where the league sets the maximum for a player with 10 or more years of experience. James is likely to re-sign with Cleveland on a max deal for two years with a player option on year two, as Joe Vardon of the Northeast Ohio Media Group wrote months ago.

James wants the Cavs to re-sign Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson, Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith, though he won’t actively recruit any of them, Haynes writes. Griffin has said that he’d like to keep the team together, though he expressed guarded interest in Smith as he confirmed Smith has opted out, saying the Cavs want him back “if it’s the right situation for us,” as Haynes notes.

Cavaliers Rumors: James, Thompson, Blatt

June 14th, 2015 at 12:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

LeBron James doesn’t want to discuss free agency during the NBA Finals, but insists he is content in Cleveland, according to Joe Vardon of the Northeast Ohio Media Group. “Ha, I haven’t even thought about that until you just said something,” James said recently. “I’ll tackle all of that after the season, but, yeah, I’m happy where I’m at.” James has a one-year option for next year worth nearly $21.6MM. He is almost certain to opt out, Vardon writes, which means he will become a free agent again for a few days while he and the Cavs work out a new deal. Vardon notes that by opting out, James can make about $22MM for next season with a player option in the neighborhood of $23MM for 2016/17 and the chance to take advantage of the salary cap rise that is expected to accompany a new TV deal.

There’s more from Cleveland on an NBA Finals Sunday:

Tristan Thompson has asked for a max or near-max deal this summer, reports Bob Finnan of The News-Herald. The power forward, who has been making a huge impact in the playoffs since Kevin Love‘s injury, turned down a four-year offer for close to $52MM in October. Cleveland needs to decide whether it wants to give maximum money to Love and Thompson, who play the same position. Finnan concludes the Cavaliers probably will.
Cleveland’s depth problem in the Finals is a result of coach David Blatt not having faith in three acquisitions that James endorsed, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Veterans Mike Miller, Shawn Marion and Kendrick Perkins have contributed more as mentors and cheerleaders than as players, Washburn asserts, meaning Cleveland will have to re-tool its bench this summer. He contends the team can return to the Finals next season, but will have to make the right moves first.
Matthew Dellavedova may be boosting his free agency prospects with stellar defense on Stephen Curry in the NBA Finals, but the Warriors are objecting to the narrative, writes Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group. “People have lit a fire under Steph, which is good thing,” said Warriors center Andrew Bogut. “It’s something that you don’t want to do. It worked out well. We know Delly is a great defender, but we know he’s not a Curry stopper.” Dellavedova will become a restricted free agent this summer after two seasons of making the league minimum.

Cavs Rumors: Thompson, Irving, Dellavedova

May 25th, 2015 at 8:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Cavaliers forward Tristan Thompson is flattered that LeBron James thinks so highly of him but offered no insights regarding his future, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com. James expressed hope on Monday that Thompson, a restricted free agent, would remain with the club throughout his career. That was welcome news to Thompson. “I appreciate the compliment, if that’s a compliment, from LeBron,” Thompson said to reporters covering the Eastern Conference Finals. “I’m just here to work, to just come into work and do what the team asks of me — whether it’s on the court, off the court, in the community — and just be a professional.” Thompson turned down a four-year, $52MM offer prior to the season and could get max deal in free agency, as Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group reports. The Cavs will have some serious competition to retain Thompson since teams have quietly expressed interest in signing Thompson to an offer sheet, league sources told Haynes. `

In other news regarding the Cavaliers:

Some of Kyrie Irving‘s teammates may be privately questioning his ability to play with pain after Irving sat out the last two playoff games, according to Joe Vardon of the Northeast Ohio Media Group. Irving has been sidelined by left knee tendinitis. Iman Shumpert, while not overtly targeting Irving, spoke of how players need to push through their pain, Vardon continues. James indicated that Irving’s absence has sapped his energy because he must handle the ball more often. “That takes the wear on your legs throughout the course of the game,” James said during a press conference. Coach David Blatt said Irving’s teammates were not frustrated with him for missing games but just anxious to have him return to action, Vardon adds.
The league needs to take a harsher stance against Matthew Dellavedova, Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun opines. Dellavedova plays too recklessly, according to Ganter, which leads to too many altercations with opponents. Taj Gibson and Al Horford were ejected from playoff games after incidents involving Dellavedova and Kyle Korver suffered a severely sprained ankle when Dellavedova rolled up on his leg diving for a loose ball. If the NBA fails to crack down on Dellavedova, it could lead to a more serious altercation, Ganter believes.

LeBron Wants To Keep Thompson On Cavs

May 25th, 2015 at 2:16pm CST by Chuck Myron

LeBron James made his thoughts clear about soon-to-be restricted free agent Tristan Thompson‘s future in Cleveland, telling beat writers that the power forward “should probably be a Cavalier the rest of his career,” notes Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Thompson and James both employ Rich Paul of Klutch Sports as their agent, and James clearly has an influence on the Cavs.

Extension talks between Thompson and the Cavs broke down as the deadline for the sides to sign one approached this past fall. Thompson reportedly turned down an offer worth $52MM over four years from the Cavs. Cleveland signed fellow big man and James confidant Anderson Varejao to an extension the same day that talks ended with Thompson. Uncertainty over just how the salary cap would look apparently helped discussions unravel with the former No. 4 overall pick, but neither side left the negotiating table with hard feelings, according to Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio. The union in March issued a final rejection of the league’s proposal to phase in salary cap increases, ostensibly bringing more clarity to bear for when Thompson and the Cavs can pick up negotiations this summer.

Cleveland appears set to zoom past the projected $67.1MM cap and $81.6MM tax threshold if it is to keep its team together next season, though owner Dan Gilbert hasn’t signaled that he wants any belt-tightening. Rival executives thought Thompson would end up with an extension for between $10-12MM a year while he and the Cavs were talking this past fall, as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported during the season, but Thompson has appeared more valuable than ever in the playoffs. He’s averaging 3.9 offensive rebounds in 34.6 minutes per game in the postseason, having inherited a starting role following Kevin Love‘s injury. The Cavs appear to have meshed better with Thompson at the four than they did with Love.

Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders figures Thompson’s camp will start talks with a request for the max this summer. Kyler also writes in that same NBA AM piece that agents commonly believe that teams will be more willing than usual to give max and near-max offers this summer, the last before major escalation in the salary cap. So, it seems there’s a decent chance other teams will drive up Thompson’s price point with fat offer sheets. A further complication is the future of Love, who’s said he’ll opt in. Whether he does or he doesn’t, he wouldn’t be tied to Cleveland for more than another year, putting pressure on Cleveland to retain at least one of its top-line power forwards unless Love opts out and commits to a new long-term deal.

Cavs Notes: Thompson, Dellavedova, Blatt

May 17th, 2015 at 8:24pm CST by Will Joseph

The decision by Tristan Thompson, who is represented by Klutch Sports agent Rich Paul, to not sign a big contract extension with the Cavaliers has paid off, especially considering how well he filled in for Kevin Love during the playoffs after the all-star went down with an injury, Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun writes. The Cavs reportedly offered Thompson a four-year, $52MM extension this past fall before the October 31st deadline for rookie scale extensions passed. Thompson, 24, can become a restricted free agent this summer provided Cleveland tenders him a qualifying offer worth $6,777,589. The power forward is known as a superior offensive rebounder and a solid defender.

Here’s more news out of Cleveland:

Matthew Dellavedova, who will be a restricted free agent this summer, has become a steady contributor for the Cavs and was an X-factor in their series against the Bulls, Zac Jackson of FOX Sports Ohio writes. Dellavedova, who LeBron James recently called “the toughest guy on our team,” has played well in a backup point guard role. Since an early-season knee injury cost him 15 games, Dellavedova has played at least 10 minutes in all but four of Cleveland’s games, Jackson notes.
Cavs owner Dan Gilbert squashed the idea that coach David Blatt will be fired regardless of how the team finishes the season in a tweet responding to comments Bleacher Report’s Ric Bucher made on the radio. Blatt’s timeout blunder in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Bulls reignited the debate about whether or not the first-year coach was in over his head.

Eastern Notes: Thompson, Wizards, Hawkins

May 9th, 2015 at 12:45pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The connection between LeBron James and Tristan Thompson, who share Klutch Sports agent Rich Paul, could make Thompson’s pending free agency more interesting given James’ obvious influence on the Cavaliers‘ personnel decisions, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com writes. The dynamic between the three men has also helped heal the wounds in the Cavs organization that stemmed from “The Decision” James had made back in 2010 to join the Heat, McMenamin adds. Thompson can become a restricted free agent this summer provided Cleveland tenders him a qualifying offer worth $6,777,589.

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

Wizards coach Randy Wittman took exception during a press conference to a report that point guard John Wall clashed with the team’s medical staff over the diagnosis of his injured hand, RealGM.com relays. “I have to get this off my chest,” said Wittman. “You guys that know me know I’m completely honest with you guys. I don’t always tell you everything, but I don’t ever come out here and tell you a lie. And what was reported today by Michael Lee [of the Washington Post] was a flat-out lie about John clashing with doctors and the training staff. That’s unfair to this kid. That is so far from the truth, I’ve got to say something. Your inside source is obviously not on the inside. Our doctors are busting their [expletive] to have something like that said. That’s not right. I have to stand up for those people in there.”
As for Wall, who was diagnosed with five displaced fracture in his left hand and wrist, there isn’t much optimism that the star can return to action for the Wizards during the 2014/15 NBA playoffs, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today tweets.
UC Davis senior guard Corey Hawkins worked out for the Sixers this past week, an event which was confirmed by Hawkins himself via his Twitter account. The 6’3″ guard is the No. 97 overall prospect according to DraftExpress.