Warriors Want Klay Thompson to Retire With Team
The past few seasons have been full of excitement and question marks for Klay Thompson and the Golden State Warriors.
Winning the 2021-22 NBA championship let the NBA world know that you can never fully count the Warriors out of the playoffs when their core is healthy. Steph Curry is on a deal that keeps him locked in until he is 39-years-old, Draymond Green signed a four-year deal on the first day of free agency and Thompson is now entering the final year of his current contract.
Many fans have been wondering if Klay Thompson will be extended before the end of the season and if he is even worth the money anymore. Warriors majority owner Joe Lacob recently spoke to The Athletic’s Tim Kawakami and made the stance of the front office very clear.
“We’ve had some very brief discussions at this point with his agent,” he said. “I fully expect that we’ll have some substantial discussions soon sometime and we’ll see if we can’t put something together that allows Klay to be here for a long time, which we clearly would like him to be.”
“His contract doesn’t expire until next year. We love him and I know he knows we love him. And we’re going to try to do something here for the rest of his career.”
Is He Worth the Money?
Despite the main core of the Warriors getting older, it is hard to overlook their overwhelming success. Klay Thompson was able to bounce back from two bad injuries, averaging 17.0 points on 35.1 percent shooting from 3-point range during the 2021-22 NBA Finals–proving he can still provide the team with elite perimeter shooting and average perimeter defense.
Few players in history have ever been able to come back as the same player after suffering the same injuries that Thompson did. Breaking up the Splash Brothers might not be the best idea and the Warriors front office seems to agree with that.
The only remaining questions of the Klay Thompson situation seem to be when the deal will be signed, and how much money he’ll be expecting to get paid.
It is no secret that the Warriors are tight on funds with Curry being one of the highest-paid players in the league, and both Green and Wiggins being on deals worth more than $100 million. It is up to the Warriors’ front office to construct an extension that Thompson will be satisfied with, but also allows the team the opportunity to chase after some much-needed big men.
Sadly, if Thompson and the front office can’t find a number that satisfies everyone, he may test the market and walk in free agency.
***
