The Cleveland Cavaliers are set to begin training camp on Sept. 29 but still, restricted free agent center Tristan Thompson has yet to be signed to a contract with both sides having a $14 million difference.
Thompson is reportedly looking for a five-year max contract worth $94 million but the Cavaliers are just offering him $80 million for the same number of years.
The contract negotiation between the Cavs and Thompson is having no significant progress since it was tabled last July.
A one-year qualifying offer worth $6.9 million will always be waiting for Thompson if he fails to reach an agreement with Cleveland regarding a new deal by the end of the week, according to ESPN.
But Thompson and Cavaliers star LeBron James' agent, Rich Paul, said last month that his client will be playing his last year with the team in the 2015–16 season if he will be forced to sign a qualifying offer.
According to ESPN, Thompson does not want to sign the Cavs' $80 million offer because he "expects" there will be better deals presented to him next summer which may reach around $20 million annually.
Thompson have shown great durability not missing a game in the past three seasons and is healthy heading to the 2015–16 season, which makes him stand by his demand of $94 million, ESPN added.
Indeed among other Cavaliers big men, Thompson is the only one entering the new year without suffering any injury from last season, unlike former All-Star Kevin Love, longtime Cavs center Anderson Varejão and last season's acquisition Timofey Mozgov.
James recently said that signing Thompson is the Cavs' number one priority but it seems like that is not the case with everything happening with the talks between both sides.
Thompson emerged last season as one of the most impactful players for the Cavaliers who lost key pieces due to injuries but still made it to the NBA Finals.
