LeBron James urges Cavs, Tristan Thompson to get a deal done
Canadian forward holding out as season approaches
The king has spoken.
LeBron James posted a picture of himself and Tristan Thompson at a wedding on Saturday with an apparent message to the Canadian forward and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
"Get it done," says James, adding a few exclamation points. "Straight up."
Thompson and the Cavaliers have yet to reach an agreement on a new contract and have hit several road blocks along the way in an attempt to secure his services for the upcoming season. Meanwhile, training camps opened last week.
The 24-year-old from Brampton, Ont., was drafted fourth overall by Cleveland in 2011 and he was a big factor in the team's run to the NBA Finals in June, especially after Kevin Love was lost for the season due to injury.
Over four seasons, Thompson has averages of 10.1 points and 8.4 rebounds, while playing 28.7 minutes per contest.
Reports have suggested Thompson was seeking a maximum contract of five years, $94 million US.
On Thursday, the deadline passed for Thompson to accept a one-year qualifying over. At this point, it is not clear when the sides will end their impasse.
However, according to James, the time is now.
In his most candid comments yet, James called Thompson's stalemate with the Cavaliers "a distraction" on Sunday and urged both sides to get a deal done.
"The last thing you need is a distraction when you try to make a championship run. And we have that right now," James said after practice at the team's facility in Independence, Ohio. "It's unfortunate for both sides that we're going through it right now as a team."
The four-time MVP also denied that his message was aimed at the negotiations between the Cavs and Thompson's agent Rich Paul, who also represents James.
"I'm not going to go to them and tell them what they should do," James said. "That's their job. They know how to do it very well, and they've done that to this point.
They've brought in and did what they had to do for us to be a contending team. Tristan is a big part of that run we want to make. I believe that something will happen."
With files from The Associated Press