Report: Klay Thompson’s contract negotiations are ‘weighing’ on him
By now, it’s well known that the Golden State Warriors have been one of the best organizations across sports in recent memory, not only with churning out prolonged success–winning four titles in eight seasons from 2014-22–but investing in its core that’s propelled their meteoric rise.
That homegrown core–Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson–has been paramount to their success. Golden State has invested heavily, spending over $990 million over their respective careers to keep it intact; Green was the most recent beneficiary, earning a four-year, $100 million contract this most recent offseason.
Next up on who is expected to be paid: Mr. Klay Thompson, who’s in the final year of a five-year, $190 million extension he signed ahead of the 2019-20 season.
Though Thompson, 33, has not performed up to expectation this season. His 3-point percentage (36.4), efficiency (54.2 TS%; 50.9 eFG%) and scoring (15.3 ppg) are all the lowest they’ve been since he his rookie season in 2011-12; to compound matters, he visibly looks a couple of steps slower defensively than he was during the prime of his career (before suffering back-to-back major knee injuries).
According to ESPN Warriors insider Kendra Andrews, the contract negotiations–which stalled out this offseason after there was a “significant gap” between two the sides in terms of years and dollars–have been “weighing” on Thompson.
“Thompson’s slump to start this season feels different,” Andrews’ report read Tuesday. “His contract negotiations are weighing on him, sources told ESPN, and he appears to be noticeably more frustrated during games.
“He sometimes sits on the end of the bench by himself during timeouts, or slaps his head after taking a bad shot. At the end of the first half of Friday’s win over against the San Antonio Spurs, Thompson threw his towel in frustration after picking up his second personal foul and then exited the court to the locker room before the half finished.”
Since he’s in the last year of his contract, Thompson can sign a new extension with the organization any time between now and the start of next year’s free agency. All of his previous indications suggest he doesn’t want to leave, either.
“I wouldn’t want to go anywhere else,” Thompson said, according to Warriors beat reporter Anthony Slater of The Athletic in October. “To play for one franchise, man? That’s so rare. In any sport. Football. Baseball. Basketball. Australian Rules Football. To play for one club is insane. It’s some real legendary stuff. Even what Udonis Haslem did. He’s revered in Miami. Locally. That’s what I cherish.
“I’ve just been so lucky to be a part of this franchise. It’d be so hard to envision myself in another uniform.”
After being the NBA’s biggest spenders for the last several seasons, it would make sense for the Warriors to not get locked within the second luxury tax apron if it doesn’t need to. It won’t help when those penalties become more punitive next season.
The second apron, currently $182.8 million, could exceed $200 million next summer if there’s a full 10 percent cap increase; Green, Curry and Andrew Wiggins are on the books for a combined $106.1 million, per Spotrac. If you include Chris Paul‘s $30 million non-guaranteed salary (it becomes guaranteed on June 28, 2024), Gary Payton II opting into his $9.1 million player option and Jonathan Kuminga ($7.6M), that figure buoys to nearly $153 million.
The Warriors currently have 11 players on the 15-man roster for the 2023-24 season. The organization parlayed waiting to extend Draymond Green until the offseason to a reasonable contract and it appears they’re looking to do the same with Thompson, especially if he’s playing at the level he’s playing at right now.
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