The Tristan Thompson contract situation continues to prolong, as it’s mid-August and the 24-year old has yet to sign a new deal.

Thompson passed up on signing a contract extension last summer that would have paid him $13 million annually, to test his value this summer as a restricted free agent. Now that Thompson has proven how valuable he is to the Cavs after his remarkable playoff performances, he is asking for a lot more money, and as a result, talks have stalled.

According to Brian Windhorst of ESPN, Thompson is believed to be looking for a five-year, $94 million maximum deal, but the Cavaliers’ offers have been considerably less.

Now reports have surfaced that Thompson may accept the one-year qualifying offer from the Cavaliers, and if he does, it “will be his last year” with the team. This is coming straight from Thompson’s agent Rich Paul who informed Sportsnet about his client’s intentions.  

Paul, one of the most well-known agents in the NBA, had a similar dilemma with the Phoenix Suns last summer when trying to land his client Eric Bledsoe a favorable deal. In the end, after a lot of frustration, Bledsoe agreed to a five-year, $70 million deal to remain in Phoenix.

However Bledsoe’s contract negotiations dragged until late September when he finally reached an agreement.

With that in mind, perhaps Rich Paul could score a last minute deal for Thompson that favors both sides as well.

Nonetheless, the threat that Thompson would leave if he doesn’t receive a long-term deal could just be for show, to force Cleveland’s front office to get a deal done.

Thompson, who averaged 9.6 points and 10.8 rebounds per contest during the postseason, is a tremendous offensive rebounder with never-ending energy and hustle. He adequately filled in for the injured Kevin Love and helped LeBron James and the Cavs reach the NBA Finals.

Without question, Tristan Thompson has validated his importance to the team, but with Love returning next year, he will once again be demoted to a bench player.

Is a bench player of Thompson’s caliber worth a max deal? Let us know in the comment section.