Before the regular season began, the Warriors offered Klay Thompson a two-year extension worth in the neighborhood of $48MM, Shams Charania of The Athletic said today on FanDuel’s Run it Back show (Twitter video link).
Thompson obviously passed on that offer, with multiple reports at the time suggesting that he and the Warriors were far apart on both years and money. He remains extension-eligible and could sign a new deal with Golden State at any time before he reaches free agency on July 1, but both Charania and ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski have indicated there’s a very real possibility he reaches the open market next summer.
Thompson is in the final season of a five-year, $190MM contract that is paying him $43.2MM in 2023/24. He missed two full seasons due to knee and Achilles injuries at the start of the contract and appeared in just 32 regular season games in 2021/22.
After a solid showing in ’22/23, Thompson’s numbers are down across the board in the first couple months of this season — he’s averaging 15.4 points per game on .397/.343/.889 shooting and has recorded roughly the same number of assists (44) and turnovers (43). His field goal percentage, three-point percentage, and turnover rate are career worsts and that scoring average is his lowest since his rookie season in 2011/12.
There has been a sense that Thompson’s contract situation may be weighing on him and factoring into his slow start to the season. Head coach Steve Kerr has been patient with the veteran sharpshooter, keeping him in the starting lineup for all 22 games he has played so far this fall. However, Kerr did hold Thompson – and fellow slumping veteran Andrew Wiggins – out of Tuesday’s closing lineup, as we detailed earlier today.
“I deserved to be benched tonight. I played like crap,” Thompson said after the game, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic. “If you’ve ever played basketball before, you know what you’re capable of. You always want to be out there competing. That’s just facts. Whatever though. It happens. I deserved to be benched. I’ve been playing like crap. Twenty games in. I haven’t caught a good rhythm.”
Another long-term, maximum-salary contract for Thompson was never a realistic expectation, but teammate Draymond Green – who, like Thompson, is 33 years old – received a four-year, $100MM commitment from Golden State over the summer. With that in mind, it’s perhaps not surprising that the five-time All-Star would view a two-year, $48MM offer as insufficient after averaging 21.9 PPG with a .412 3PT% last season.
Still, unless he’s able to turn things around this season and bust out of his slump, it’s hard to imagine the Warriors adding any more years or money to the preseason offer they made to Thompson.
For what it’s worth, Thompson has said he “absolutely” wants to spend the rest of his playing career in Golden State.
Dude was 1-8 from 3 against the sun’s last night in a big game.
Unless he picks this up real quick, he might want to reconsider that off-season Warriors offer.
If it is still on the table.
Kerr didnt have guts to bench him at the half. Let’s see if Kerr will bench both Wiggins and Klay in the next game. Lets wake everybody up. Benching Looney doesnt count. Looney has been doing whatever team needs and he’s still solid. In the meantime, Wiggins doesnt evem care he was benched. Serious issues. And Dray is on his own, doesnt care about the team, and needs anger mgmt. :(
From what I read last year Thompson lost a lot of money in crypto currency so he might be thinking more about money than anything else. He is going to regret turning down that offer.
Big fan of Thompson, but he’s clearly not going to be the same player he was moving forward. The first of the big3 to start rapid decline. It was inevitable, just hate to admit it’s happening.
And Green has lost his ability to stay on the court so his play is only an idea at this point.
Not looking good for the Dubs. Gonna be interesting to see what they do. Are they ruthless enough to realize it’s time to turn the page quickly if they want to have a shot at winning again with Curry?
Does Golden State have enough to outbid the Pacers for Pascal Siakam??? Curry is the Golden State offense right now. Siakam would be a nice boost.
Andrew Wiggins is from Canada. Does Toronto see any upside in Moody, Kuminga, Podziemski. How many picks does Golden State have to give?
Green hasn’t been good since Klay got injured…
Agreed. Can’t defy age forever. Happens in all dynasty situations.
It’s stunning how far and how fast Klay has fallen off. At best he’s Kyle Korver at this point. 2 year $20 would be the max I’d offer.
Korver was better than Thompson is now, honestly. Thompson has a 34% 3pt percentage and can’t do much else anymore. Korver’s lowest 3pt percentage over any full season was 37.5%, and he never lost his other skills. He was a sneaky good cutter and could spot up, even if he never had the defense Thompson had.
Klay fell off faster than anyone I can think of save Roy Hibbert.
“Those are just facts.” Not “That’s just facts” try setting an example beyond your broccoli hair doo
“That’s just facts” is literally a colloquialism. Also, you missed a comma in your rebuttal.
He also added an extra o to “do” and forgot to put a period at the end.
Well maybe if he spent less time trying to look cool and more time practicing his jumper shot this article wouldn’t exist…ever think of that genous?
This seems like a generous offer from the Warriors. This is a team that gave him the max even though he had sustained major injury. He shouldn’t be pushing for every nickel and dime when his game has completely fallen off. The Warriors have more than taken care of him. Now it is his time to return the favor.
Agreed. The Warriors have been generous and loyal. The Warriors should just let Thompson go. Thompson will be 34 in February. The Warriors should rescind the offer that Thompson rejected. Life has to go on.
Not getting any bigger because you kinda suck now…
His best days are behind him now. He still can be a productive rotation player imo. He should take that offer.
A spot shooter with declining shooting skills, can’t rebound, can’t facilitate, and is becoming a statue on D. Should have taken that 2/48 and ran. It’s a shame he sat on his shooting ability and never really developed his game anywhere else.
Klay is 59-172 from deep. That means if he’d hit 5 more of those attempts he’s be sitting at .378 instead of .343. So if he’d made one more three every 4 games he’d be sitting at a respectable 3P%. 22 games is still to small of sample size, if he heats up and has a few 3-8 or 4-7 games than he’s back on track. On defense he can’t keep up with guards any more but he can still hold his own on slower big forwards that play on the perimeter. I don’t think he’s worth anymore than what the Warriors offered but I think that offer is fair.
stats can get so skewed.
Sad to see his decline, but he needs to be realistic – he’s not going to do much better than what was offered. Loved his game and he can still be effective, but anything more than $20M per year and I’d pass and let him walk.
When you’re shooting so bad you can’t even be on the court as a DECOY at the end of a close game…
Warriors screwed up the “ride off into the sunset” plan for their big 3 by giving the least talented member a large overpay this summer…
Klay will want more than Draymond… He has never punched a team mate or done anything that stupid…
Sure these injuries have taken their toll, but the end of an era isn’t about winning… It’s about celebrating the past…
Warriors should be grateful that he didn’t sign and let him go this offseason, he’s completely done and won’t even have some useful end of career seasons like Ray Allen did. He’s having the 2nd worst season of his career and has missed 2 full years due to injury. There isn’t any more “potential” on a mid 30’s player getting good again after these injuries.
Much like Ricky Bobby just needing to say, that he loves crepes ……. Klay should’ve taken that very fair offer.
well slap my butt cheeks and call me spider monkey.
They need a trade. Trade Paul and Santos to Chicago for Vucevic and Alex Curuso. If you want to I wouldn’t but offer Wiggins for DeRozan as well. Or trade Paul, Joseph and Santos to Detroit for Bojan, Hayes and……. Wiseman. Or trade Paul and Santos to Utah for Jordan Clarkson, Kelly O and picks
Offer Klay 52 million for two years and say this is your last chance
Don’t offer Klay anything. Business is business. The Warriors can do better with $52 million.
Should of kept Wiseman in a natural organization he would have been a top 10 Center but they did not give him the opportunity to show his talent. Now he has no confidence maybe he will be traded to attend that has a chance of winning some jewelry to make up to mishap. They do not know how to play basketball they just shoot but they well has run dry now they are lost. I predicted the situation not laugh at these clowns.