LeBron James' leverage over the Cleveland Cavaliers, at least as it pertains to Tristan Thompson's future, is not absolute.
Thompson, a restricted free agent, is now willing to sign his qualifying offer rather than a new long-term deal with the Cavaliers, according to Sportsnet's Michael Grange.The qualifying offer is worth nearly $6.8 million and essentially acts as a one-year contract, allowing the 24-year-old forward to enter unrestricted free agency next summer, when the salary cap jumps by more than $20 million.
Traveling this route would allow Thompson to leave Cleveland in 2016 if he so chooses.