Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James voiced out his support for Tristan Thompson again, saying that the free agent should get a long-term deal from his team before the start of the 2015-16 NBA season.

James, who has the same agent as Thompson, said that the 24-year-old forward is an integral part of their team and it was proven during their playoff run last season.

Thompson, who is represented by player agent Rich Paul, spent most of the 2014-15 regular season backing up Kevin Love, but the All-Star power forward suffered season-ending shoulder surgery during their first-round playoff series against the Boston Celtics.

The four-year veteran averaged 9.6 points and 10.8 rebounds during the postseason, helping the Cavaliers advance to the 2015 NBA Finals, where they eventually lost to the Golden State Warriors in six games.

James said that Thompson's performance during the playoffs is enough to prove that he deserves a long-term contract. The four-time Most Valuable Player remains optimistic that Thompson and his team will eventually find a common ground before the start of the upcoming season.

"Double T is a huge piece of our team, and he showed to the world how important he is in the postseason," James said via USA Today. "I'm optimistic about him being back. All sides - the team, the organization, Tristan and myself - would love to have him for the long term."

Thompson is reportedly looking for a five-year maximum deal worth around $94 million, but the Cavaliers are remaining firm on their five-year, $80 million offer. ESPN reported that Thompson and his camp countered with a three-year deal worth around $53 million, but the Cavaliers did not budge again.

Previous reports also indicated that Thompson might eventually decide to sign a one-year qualifying offer to stay in Cleveland and become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

The Canadian forward has until Thursday to accept the qualifying offer. Cavaliers general manager David Griffin also sounded optimistic that Thompson will eventually come to terms with the team.

"We're excited about moving forward with him into the future in whatever form that may take," Griffin told reporters. "We feel very good about where this is because of who Tristan is and because of the competitor he is and because of the relationship he has with his teammates."

Thompson, who averaged 8.5 and 8.0 boards during the 2014-15 NBA regular season, missed the Cavaliers media day on Monday and was also absent during the start of their training camp on Tuesday.