Originally Posted by
existential
Lebron wants Thompson and if they win the title this year, I could see him backing off on his thoughts about Love. Even if they don't, Lebron still might reconsider about Love. I think the best possible outcome for both sides at this point is if Love doesn't opt out. To maximize and regain some of his own value, Love needs to prove that he can come back healthy and continue making strides on a championship-caliber team. The only way I see Love opting out now is if he truly wants out of Cleveland, which is always possible.
Thompson already turned down $52M/4 years this past offseason. It's possible he might want to go somewhere else as well, who knows. He isn't worthy of max dollars, but someone might be willing to offer around the $16M level for him. And if that happens, I still think the Cavs would be willing to match, but there's no way they can dump between $33M-$36M on two PF's annually past next year. Yes, Gilbert is on record saying he's willing to pay the luxury tax, but that doesn't mean he's committed to paying both Thompson and Love at the same time beyond next year. You have to keep in mind they'll have others to re-sign/match as well, including Lebron when he opts out to maximize on the increased cap number.