Tristan Thompson’s contract demands are rather ridiculous

You can never fault an NBA player for trying to get as much dough as possible. Careers are fleeting and the NBA already restricts salaries at the top end, so why not maximize your worth when you have the opportunity? Railing against players looking forward to free agency is usually foolish. Players should leverage their situations to set up themselves and their families while the getting is good, because it will not always be good.

In this respect, Tristan Thompson is perfectly justified for holding out to get the contract he wants. He’s been looking for a full maximum contract, which is $94 million over five years. His camp has also reportedly pitched a three-year, $53 million version. The Cleveland Cavaliers don’t like either idea, and have seemingly held strong at $80 million over five years, or an average of $16 million per season. Every dollar paid to Thompson costs the Cavaliers treble because of the luxury tax; they seem unwilling to budge much, if at all.

So while Thompson is perfectly justified to chase that dough, let us all acknowledge that his contract demands are rather ridiculous.

Thompson averaged eight points and eight rebounds for the Cavaliers last season. He will be backing up Kevin Love and Timofey Mozgov this season, probably averaging no more than 25 minutes per game. (While he averaged about 27 minutes per game last season, he played just 23 per game after the All-Star break. Mozgov arrived in January.) Thompson is a good offensive rebounder; Love happens to be one of the best in the league. Thompson is a versatile defender capable of switching the pick-and-roll. That’s a nice skill. It’s not an $18.8 million per year skill. If we’re being honest, it’s not a $16 million skill either, even in this inflated salary environment.

Thompson is a nice player being offered a big contract and demanding an enormous one. Given that LeBron James -- who is intertwined personally via Rich Paul, James’ old friend and both players’ agent -- has disentangled himself from the proceedings, the Cavaliers have the leverage. Thompson can’t sit the entire season without ending up a restricted free agent again in 2016, and he may have let his last chance to take a one-year qualifying offer pass Thursday.

There’s little indication either the Portland Trail Blazers or Philadelphia 76ers are interested in presenting an offer sheet of Thompson’s choosing in order to shove the Cavaliers into action. Portland could extend Thompson’s three-year, $53 million wish with a player or team option on the final year, but why would the rebuilding Blazers want Thompson for at least two years at that price if Cleveland didn’t match? Likewise, the Sixers can offer $51 million over three years, but why? Thompson plays the one position the Sixers don’t actually need.

At some point, if the Cavaliers hold tight, Thompson and his agent need to realize that Cleveland is being smart, not stingy. This is way too much money for any NBA team to tie up in Tristan Thompson, and Cleveland is particularly suited to survive without him.

At some point, that giant golden egg on the table ought to become too tempting to avoid. And that point should come pretty soon.

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