Report: Thompson to skip LeBron's Miami camp
Tristan Thompson, who is embroiled in a contract dispute with the Cleveland Cavaliers, will not attend LeBron James‘ voluntary training camp in Miami, according to a report by Northeast Ohio Media Group.
Thompson, a restricted free agent seeking a long-term deal, and the Cavaliers broke off contract talks in July, and the stalemate became more contentious last month when Thompson’s agent said his client would not return to Cleveland after this season if forced to accept a one-year qualifying offer.
Due to the impasse between the sides, Thompson has decided to skip James’ camp, which begins Saturday, according to Northeast Ohio Media Group.
James has publicly stated that the Cavaliers need to re-sign Thompson, saying that a deal is the team’s “No. 1 objective.”
The Cavs have re-signed James, Kevin Love, Iman Shumpert, J.R. Smith and James Jones this offseason to contracts totaling more than $200 million in guaranteed money. They also brought in veteran free agents Mo Williams and Richard Jefferson.
James, who has been spending time with rehabbing Kyrie Irving in South Florida, recently invited other teammates to participate in the voluntary workouts, sources confirmed to ESPN earlier this week.
Irving, Love, Shumpert, Smith, Jones, Williams, Jefferson, Anderson Varejao, Joe Harris and Sasha Kaun all are expected to attend, according to Northeast Ohio Media Group.
James’ camp is part of a league-wide trend of players organizing group offseason workouts. Dwyane Wade recently organized workouts with Miami Heat teammates in Los Angeles. Last week, Damian Lillard posted a photo on Instagram of a group workout with more than 10 of his Portland Trail Blazers teammates.
Information from ESPN’s Brian Windhorst was used in this report.
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