LeBron tells Cavs, Thompson to 'get it done' on Instagram
LeBron James initially said he wasn't going to get involved in the contract dispute between the Cavaliers and Tristan Thompson, and then told reporters earlier this week that he was done discussing it.
His stance changed on Saturday night, however, when James took to Instagram to urge the two parties to come to a quick resolution.
"Get it done!!!! Straight up. #MissMyBrother @realtristan13," James wrote.
James shares an agent with Thompson, and thanks to his personal contract situation, which allows him to become an unrestricted free agent at the conclusion of the upcoming season, he can wield as much power within the Cavaliers organization as he chooses.
On Sunday, James elaborated on his comments, telling reporters that the message was for both sides in the negotiation.
"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.
"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."
On top of Thompson's holdout, the Cavs are also facing injury issues, with both Iman Shumpert (wrist) and Kyrie Irving (knee) out to start the season. Without Thompson, James would need to carry an even larger burden for Cleveland.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
