Kevin Love's dislocated left shoulder may make Cleveland Cavaliers forward Tristan Thompson a very rich man.
The 6-foot-9 Brampton, On. native has been a revelation since Love went down with his injury, averaging 8.8 points and 10.7 rebounds while snagging 45.6 percent of contested rebounds in 18 postseason appearances.
It was a bold move by Thompson to turn down a reported four-year, $52-million offer late last year, but it looks like his faith in himself could pay off.
Thompson's agent, Rich Paul, "has let it be known that Thompson wants a max deal, or close to it," according to the News-Herald's Bob Finnan.
A team looking to acquire a bruising power forward who can feast on the glass may throw big dollars at him in restricted free agency. However, Thompson's best bet may be to accept Cleveland's qualifying offer, then become unrestricted in the summer of 2016 with the soaring salary cap.
Even so, he likely wouldn't make much more than the original extension he had on the table.
LeBron James - also a Paul client - has been vocal about wanting his 24-year-old teammate to remain a Cavalier for the rest of his career, saying: "He plays his heart out every single night, and he has zero sense of entitlement in this league. All he cares about is coming into work.
"Whatever is given to him, he relishes the opportunity, and he's a great teammate. So he'll be here for a long time."
Thompson can continue to be effective in a limited role, although he'll never become a focal point of any offense - his 14 percent usage percentage was one of Cleveland's lowest throughout the regular season.
We'll soon find out if Thompson, with Paul by his side, is one of the NBA's smartest businessmen - or if he made a huge financial blunder.
