CLEVELAND, Ohio – Tristan Thompson elected to let the Cleveland Cavaliers' qualifying offer deadline pass Thursday night and he remains a restricted free agent.
Thompson had an 11:59 p.m. ET deadline Thursday to accept the one-year, $6.8 million QO. Now the power forward will be classified as a player holding out if a deal isn't worked out before Friday's practice.
The evaporation of the qualifying offer eliminates one leverage play Thompson had at his disposal. Rich Paul, the agent for Thompson and LeBron James, had stated that if his client accepted the offer, it would be his final season with the Cavaliers.