Thompson shares an agent with teammate LeBron…
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According to speculation, Cleveland Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson turned down a four-year extension offer worth $52m from the franchise.
“Thompson turned down a $13m-a-year extension offer – four-year, $52m, league sources told Yahoo Sports,” Adrian Wojnarowski reported.
Much has been said of the power that LeBron James has at the organisation, and one theory that has been suggested by Pro Basketball Talk is that his influence stretches further with Thompson given that the pair share an agent, Rich Paul.
It appears as though Cleveland tried to show their gratitude for Paul’s work in paving the way for James to return last summer, but their offer was clearly not seen as acceptable by Thompson and his camp.
Looking at the figures elsewhere in the league, that is a particularly generous offer and it undoubtedly seems like a big risk for the Cavs star to not accept and tie down his future with the franchise.
His other option is that he could accept Cleveland’s $6,777,589 qualifying offer this summer and become an unrestricted free agent in 2016. In turn, that would be just in time for the salary cap to rise due to the new TV deal kicking in which means he may well command a much higher salary if he continues to impress.
It appears to be a calculated risk if true, but it is also suggested that the influence and power that James holds over the franchise is long-reaching beyond his own personal matters.
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