Klay Thompson and the Warriors can finalize an extension at any time between now and June 30, 2024, so they didn’t need to come to an agreement before the regular season begins. Still, as Anthony Slater of The Athletic notes (via Twitter video), some players view opening night as an artificial deadline and prefer to table those talks until after the season if they don’t agree to terms by then.
Asked if he’s taking that route, Thompson didn’t confirm it one way or the other, but he also didn’t sound like a player who plans to be actively engaged in pursuing a new deal during the season.
“I’m focused on the daily dedication it takes to do this job,” Thompson said. “I’m not worried about an extension right now. That’ll all play itself out.”
[RELATED: Klay Thompson “Absolutely” Wants To Spend Rest Of Career With Warriors]
Recent reports from ESPN and The Athletic have indicated that the Warriors and Thompson are pretty far apart on years and money, increasing the likelihood that the veteran sharpshooter could reach free agency next summer. It’s very possible the two sides will bridge that gap at some point between now and June 30, but Thompson acknowledged that he intends to savor this season “just in case” it’s his last in Golden State.
“Oh yeah, you never know what’s going to happen,” Thompson said. “I’m going to savor this as much as I can, especially in this uniform. I was here before it sweet, before it was four championships. Twenty-three wins (in 2011/12). I was here building the foundation, so yeah I’m going to savor it. Because everyone around the world thinks it’s sweet when they look at (the) Warriors, but it hasn’t always been like this. So I’m going to savor the heck out of it.”
Here’s more on the Warriors:
- Warriors forward Draymond Green won’t play on Friday vs. Sacramento, but he just needs to regain his proper conditioning and is “close” to returning to action, per head coach Steve Kerr (Twitter link via Kendra Andrews of ESPN).
- Regardless of whether or not Chris Paul continues to start for the Warriors once Green returns, his main role will be as the floor general for the team’s second unit, a source tells Kendra Andrews of ESPN. Paul is the “quintessential” player for that role, according to Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic, who observes that the veteran guard’s playing style represents the counterbalance to Golden State’s “organized chaos.”
- Even after Green is back, Kerr expects it to take a few weeks for the Warriors to get fully comfortable with their new lineups and the new additions to their rotation, according to Andrews. “This is just the first glimpse of the regular season,” he said. “It usually takes 20, 25 games to really know your team and feel the actions you need, the combinations you have.”
- After rolling with Jonathan Kuminga over Andrew Wiggins – and giving Gary Payton II some playing time – in the fourth quarter on Tuesday, Kerr told reporters that he liked the way Kuminga and Payton were defending, and that he won’t hesitate to go with the hot hand in crunch time this season. “That’s how it’s going to be a lot of nights this year,” Kerr said, per C.J. Holmes of The San Francisco Chronicle. “Whoever is playing best will finish the game.”
What is Klay asking for, any ideas? We talking thr Warriors offering him less than Draymonds 4/100? Is he looking for 4/120?
Depending on what they do… Sixers could be a player. Klay would be 34, but still a shooter, which would pair well with Joel and Maxey, but if hes just a stand in one spot shooter idk, the JJ / Curry / Allen / Korver route of running around til open around 50 screens.. may he the best pairing. His age and injuries are also troubling.
They’ll have 60M or more to allocate in FA tho.
I still think hes 70% likely to return to the GSW tho. 20% LAL (would need to be a S&T probably), 5% Portland, 5% somewhere else.
Lakers would be interesting, given the family connection (plus his brother played for the Dodgers for like three seasons, iirc).
If he asks for more than 4/160 then I say just let him leave. I’m okay with him being paid in the 30M range.
But I’m completely fine with them waiting to see how he plays since he’s guarding more 3/4’s this year than before and Kuminga might blow up.
The Dubs won’t be able to go much higher than 20 a year for Klay, and I bet he’d take for 3 years. He loves being a Warrior and piloting his boat to *work*
Klay is moving into Westbrook range (who is now a better player than Thompson). At his age and declining skills, Klay is looking at a one year contract at about 5 mill (last I looked, that is still a lot of moolah).
Westbrook is better? get your head examined. teams pay Westbrook to LEAVE! multiple teams. Thompson led the league in 3 pointers made in the league last year. Westbrook?
Kerr needs to start the players playing the best. (And that’s not Klay)
Klay wasn’t the problem in game 1. Curry poor playing was
All the egos in Golden State are going to make this interesting…
Owners will want to win… Players will want to get paid for the wins of the past…
And they have a CP3 sized hole on their cap sheet to make any decision far harder than it should…
Good times for the rest of the league…
With the cap are you talking about this year or next year? The squad is set for this year and Klay and Chris Paul come off the books this summer? Not sure what point you’re trying to make.
As far as getting paid for the Wins of the past that’s already happened. Draymond Green is fair market value going forward and Klay will accept the same. And Wiggins did the same also and took a little discount. Again not sure what you’re saying here.