A new report suggests contract talks between the Golden State Warriors and team great Klay Thompson are at an impasse and he is expected to test his value in NBA free agency in the summer.
The new NBA season is set to start this week and there is excitement for the potential of every team around the league. However, few teams have legitimate title aspirations and the Golden State Warriors can be counted among that elite group.
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The league’s current dynasty team is only a couple of seasons removed from their last championship and has many of the key players from that special group back for the 2023-2024 NBA season. As long as their “Big Three” of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson can stay healthy, they should be in the thick of the title hunt this season.
Unfortunately, for Warriors fans there is a real chance that this could be the final year together for the franchise’s three greatest players. Curry is the face of the organization and is locked up for several more years. This summer, the team reorganized their payroll so they could give Green a new long-term extension. But it looks like Thompson may be the odd man out.
Klay Thompson reportedly pricing himself out of returning to Golden State Warriors next year
The five-time All-Star is in the final year of a contract that will pay him over $43 million this season. The 33-year-old and the team were reportedly in talks on an extension, however, it looks like those conversations are dead. On Monday, NBA insider Shams Charania gave a major update on the talks and why a deal is not expected to get done this season.
- Klay Thompson stats (2022-2023): 21.9 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 2.4 APG, 0.7 SPG, 41% 3PT
“From what I am told there’s a significant gap in years and money,” Charania said on Fan Duel TV’s “Run It Back”.”Negotiations right now are at a dead point. Thompson wants much more than the Warriors are offering overall in both years and salary.
“… As of now, all signs point to Klay Thompson going into free agency in the summer [and] not getting an extension done. In an ideal world, the Warriors want to take care of him, they want to pay him but they also want to see how the season goes, and Klay Thompson is going to have a chip on his shoulder.”
Thompson’s 12 years in the league have all been with the Warriors. However, tears to his Achilles and ACL have had a significant effect on his play in recent years and it is understandable why Golden State is looking for a fair deal for both sides in an extension.
Many expected he might agree to a similar four-year, $100 million deal like Green got that is lower in money but guarantees years. However, to be far a part in both money and years for the 33-year-old is quite surprising.