fbpx
Skip to main content

Klay Thompson is just the first of many dominoes to fall for the Warriors

As we’ve have indicated several times recently, it looks like All-Star guard Klay Thompson will return to the Golden State Warriors.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Golden State is expected to offer its injured star a full five-year, $190 million guaranteed contract once free agency opens up Sunday evening. Thompson will sign in short order.

This really isn’t much of a surprise. Short of the Warriors refusing to offer Thompson a max deal, there was no real reason to believe he’d leave Northern California.

For a Warriors team coming off a brutal NBA Finals loss, this will be the first of many dominoes to fall during what promises to be an active summer.

Klay Thompson: The injury timeline.

  • Even before this report broke, suggestions were that Golden State expects Thompson to return from his torn ACL in either February or March.
  • This is no small thing. The Warriors will need to get a stop-gap two-guard next to Stephen Curry.
  • But by retaining Thompson, there’s no need to look for a long-term option there.
  • In terms of free agency, the likes of Jeremy Lamb, Justin Holiday, Seth Curry and even Rodney Hood might be available for the mid-level exception.

The Kevin Durant dynamic: Golden State has options here.

  • The Warriors’ first goal is to lock Durant into a five-year, $220 million deal.
  • Even after both players suffered injuries in the Finals, Golden State was seemingly willing to offer max deals to KD and Thompson.
  • With Thompson back in the fold, the Warriors are not in complete desperation mode.

There’s layers to that view.

  • Golden State has to feel comfortable that it can compete with the core of Curry, Thompson and Draymond Green moving forward.
  • Retaining Durant, who will miss all of next season, would only act as a boon for the five-time defending conference champions.

Other Durant options: Sign-and-trade, let him walk.

  • Recent reports suggest that the Warriors’ brass have been talking to Durant and his reps.
  • Said talks have included the possibility of a sign-and-trade should KD decide to leave.
  • In turn, this would net the Warriors a $35-plus million trade exception.
  • The Warriors can also just decide to do away with a sign-and-trade if Durant is hellbent on leaving.

Sign-and-trade: The devil is always in the details.

  • Golden State simply can’t go out there and add a max-contract free agent like Kawhi Leonard.
  • Instead, the Warriors could hit the free-agent market by offering up draft capital to a team in a sign-and-trade.
  • Basic example would be handing over two first-round picks to the Philadelphia 76ers for Jimmy Butler. This would create a trade exception for Philly. It’s also extremely hypothetical.

Other moves: Now that Thompson is settled, things are taking shape.

  • Golden State will already be over the luxury tax once its signing of Thompson becomes official.
  • The team is looking at a huge payroll number moving forward, which could take into account re-signing Kevon Looney and extending Draymond Green.
  • Though, newly-extended Warriors general manager Bob Myers recently noted that the Warriors are working without a budget.

What does that all mean? It’s not as simple as it seems.

Re-signing Durant and Looney would pretty much force the Warriors into vet-minimum players and the taxpayer mid-level exception. That’s going to impact the team’s bottom line with Durant out all of next season and Thompson expected to miss a majority of the campaign.

Though, Thompson’s injury opens up another avenue for a short-term fix. That comes in the form of the injured-player exception.

Given Thompson is expected to sign the max deal, Golden State would be able to add about $10 million in salary to its bloated payroll for next season in a trade.

The idea here would be to target teams looking to unload unfavorable contracts. Dion Waiters of the Miami Heat is the first player to come to mind.

A lot still needs to be done in San Francisco heading into free agency. But inking Thompson to said extension at the outset is only going to help.

Mentioned in this article:

More About: