The Warriors made it clear that signing Klay Thompson to a contract extension is one of the team’s priorities.
But where are those discussions with the veteran guard under contract for one more season? ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne recently provided some insight in a conversation with “The Lowe Post“podcast.
“My understanding is that they have opened contract extension talks with Klay Thompson,” Shelburne told host Zach Lowe. “It’s a slow process. This idea that he’s qualified for a while and they haven’t done anything … no, they’ve started talking. They’ve exchanged proposals. ways.
“It’s not necessarily that he’s trying to leave, but the option is that he didn’t have a good year last year. He needs to have a good year this year and he’ll be more valuable if he does.”
Thompson is entering the final season of his five-year, $190 million contract and is off to a slow start to the 2022-23 NBA season. But he found his shot as the regular season campaign continued, proving he was years away from retirement despite a lackluster playoff showing.
The Warriors will certainly be looking for a discount this season after giving Thompson a max contract while he rehabs from back-to-back lower leg injuries in 2019. And while there’s still plenty of time to work out a new deal – – and for Thompson to increase his value through his performance — both Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. and owner Joe Lacob expects the lifelong Warrior to remain in Golden State.
“I do,” Lacob told The Athletic’s Tim Kawakami on “The TK Show” when asked if he expects Thompson to return to the Warriors after the 2023-24 season. “Look, we’ve had some brief discussions at this point with his agent, but they’re very early. I think we’re all still adjusting to figuring out what our financial situation is, our cap space situation.
“They go, from the players’ side, it’s reasonable to have to prove what the free agent market is because they’ve earned the right to be free agents when they play out their contracts. And they have to tan -look and see what options they can come up with. So I think there’s a little bit going on at this point, but I fully expect that we’ll have more discussions soon. It’s going to be here for a long time. , which obviously we want to have him.”
Golden State signed Draymond Green to a four-year, $100 million contract this summer after the forward himself explored free agency. And Shelburne believes the Warriors’ faith in Green and their longtime core could signal what’s to come for Thompson.
“They’re definitely open to the idea of ​​doing it [an extension] because they opened discussions with Klay Thompson,” Shelburne said. “I think the years are probably the same as what Draymond Green signed, which is a four-year deal. I think it will be similar. I don’t know where they will land in the team option, player option. Money is the question. And how does that fit into the new CBA, the ban that is implied. I know the Warriors will feel strongly about keeping Klay Thompson and Draymond Green with Steph Curry.
While the goal is to stay in the Golden State championship group, it remains to be seen what the future holds for Thompson in the Bay.
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