The Cleveland Cavaliers and restricted free agent Tristan Thompson appear to be at an impasse on a new contract with a week to go until the start of training camp.
The two sides remain $14 million apart in contract talks, sources told ESPN.com on Monday.
The Cavs have held firm at an offer of five years and $80 million with Thompson looking for a max contract of $94 million over the same span, according to ESPN. The talks have been at a standstill since early July.
The 6-foot-10 Thompson can sign the Cavs’ one-year qualifying offer of $6.9 million to become an unrestricted free agent next year if no deal is reached.
Thompson’s agent, Rich Paul, told ESPN last month that if Thompson signs the one-year qualifier that he will not re-sign with the Cavs long-term in 2016. The NBA salary cap is expected to rise about 30 percent next summer based on new revenue from television and digital rights contracts.
Thompson and LeBron James have a close relationship and share an agent. But the Cavs superstar has remained a bystander in the talks between Cleveland and Thompson, a forward/center.
Thompson averaged 8.5 points and 8.0 rebounds during the regular season when he was the Cavs’ sixth man. After Kevin Love was injured in the first round of the playoffs, Thompson started at power forward. In the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors, he averaged 11.6 points and 12.6 rebounds.