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Warriors Plan Extension Offers For Thompson, Green

June 9th, 2018 at 9:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

There have been concerns about the Warriors’ ability to afford Klay Thompson and Draymond Green when their free agency years arrive, but owner Joe Lacob plans to aggressively address the situation this summer, relays Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.

Shortly after wrapping up the team’s third title in four years Friday night, Lacob said he intends to submit extension offers to both players during the offseason.

“All good things cost a lot,” he explained. “We’re going to try to sign Klay and Draymond to extensions this summer. They’ve earned the right to do whatever they want; maybe they want to wait until free agency. I can’t control that. But we’ll do whatever we can to keep them.

“We’ve proven that if we think we’re competing for a championship, we’ll be in the luxury tax. No one wants to be, but we expect to be. All I can tell you is we’re going to sit down and do our planning on how we’re going to improve the team for the future and setting ourselves up in the future. And it could go a number of different ways.”

Thompson is entering the final year of a contract that will pay him $18,988,725 next season. He has spent seven years with the Warriors and is coming off his fourth straight All-Star appearance. Green has two seasons left on his current deal, worth $17,469,565 next season and $18,539,130 in 2019/20. He has been with Golden State for six years and is a three-time All-Star.

Extensions for Thompson and Green would come at the same time the Warriors have to spend big to re-sign Kevin Durant, who is virtually certain to opt out of a $26.25MM salary and enter free agency for the third straight summer. If all three players agree to new contracts, the Warriors would likely be headed for the largest luxury tax bill in NBA history.

Klay Thompson To Play In Game 2

June 3rd, 2018 at 4:59pm CST by marksuleymanov

6:09pm: Thompson will play in tonight’s contest, according to the Warriors’ Twitter feed.

4:59pm: Klay Thompson suffered a high left ankle sprain with significant bruising during the Warriors‘ Game 1 victory but is likely to play tonight, according to reports from ESPN’s Ramon Shelburne and USA TODAY’s Sam Amick.

The injury occurred when Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith dove for a loose ball early in the first quarter and landed on Thompson’s leg. After briefly leaving the game, Thompson returned to the game and played through the injury. Thompson told reporters yesterday that the pain worsened the day after the victory and if Game 2 had been scheduled for Saturday, he was unsure he could play.

Walking with a noticeable limp, Thompson said he was angered when he saw a replay of Smith’s dive.

“From watching that replay, it pissed me off,” Thompson said. “That’s a tough play on the ball, and then just to tumble into somebody’s legs like that. You’ve got to move past it, but it’s just life, and I’m going to be better from it. It’s just a minor setback. But I don’t think it was intentional.”

Thompson remains listed as “questionable” for tonight’s game. The Warriors sharpshooter has never missed a postseason game and while he’ll likely attempt to play, it’s uncertain how effective he will be on a bothersome ankle.

Injury Updates: James, Thompson, Iguodala

June 2nd, 2018 at 7:30pm CST by Arthur Hill

Even though he scored 51 points, LeBron James played much of Game 1 of the NBA Finals with blurred vision after being poked in the eye by Draymond Green. As the Cavaliers ran through their first practice today since Thursday’s loss, James reported that his eye has improved, relays Brian Windhorst of ESPN.

“It doesn’t look better, but the docs told me it’s better,” James said. “It’s just going through a stage right now of recovering. … I’m taking my medication that I’ve been given by the doctors. My eyedrops and my antibiotic to help me with the recovery as fast as possible. But it’s an eye. I mean, it’s going to recover as fast as it can on its own. There is nothing you can do. I can’t ice it or anything like that.”

James was attempting a dunk in the second quarter when Green contested it and hit him in the eye, recounts Jenna West of Sports Illustrated. That eye was seen bleeding during a close-up camera shot later in the game.

As we passed along earlier, Golden State guard Klay Thompson is hopeful about his chances to play in Game 2 after a collision with J.R. Smith that left him with a high ankle sprain. Thompson was limping at today’s practice, tweets Ethan Strauss of The Athletic, and said he’s not sure he could play if the game were tonight.

Thompson expressed frustration at Smith for what he considers a reckless play, relays Anthony Slater of The Athletic, who adds that Nick Young will probably start if Thompson can’t go.

“I’m going to do what I can in these next 24 hours or so to loosen it up as much as possible, get some stability back,” Thompson said. “I’m optimistic for tomorrow. That’s the hard part of the game we all have to endure. Got to let it go. It happens. I’ve just got to move on.”

While Thompson is listed as questionable for tomorrow, Andre Iguodala remains doubtful with a bruised knee he suffered in the Western Conference finals, West relays in a separate story. Iguodala continues to make progress, but still has pain in the knee and inflammation in the surrounding nerve.

Klay Thompson Plans To Play In Game 2

June 2nd, 2018 at 3:23pm CST by clarkcrum

Lost in much of the hoopla surrounding the newsworthy finish in Game 1 of the NBA Finals was the injury suffered by Warriors’ guard Klay Thompson during the middle of the first quarter when J.R. Smith rolled under him and crashed into his legs.

Thompson ended up returning to the game and finished with 24 points, but according to Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports, Thompson suffered a high left ankle sprain during the play that has left him with significant bruising in the ankle.

Thompson still plans to play in Game 2 tomorrow night, but admits that he has been receiving around-the clock treatment since late Thursday night. Per Anthony Slater of The Athletic, Thompson said the pain got worse from last night to today and that if the game were tonight, he’s not sure if he could play.

Slater adds that the team is officially listing Thompson as “questionable” for tomorrow night.

Western Notes: Rockets, Jazz, Westbrook, Allen

May 27th, 2018 at 9:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Rockets have reduced their rotation to seven players but they won’t use fatigue as an excuse for their second-half collapse against the Warriors in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports. Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Stephen Curry have all played more minutes per game than any Rockets player, Feigen notes. “Fatigue is never a factor in the playoffs,” Rockets forward Trevor Ariza told Feigen and other media members. “This is what we prepare for. This is what we work hard all summer for. They started playing harder. They started making shots. That’s it.”

Also around the Western Conference:

The Jazz might keep their core group intact going into next season, GM Dennis Lindsey told Mike Sorensen of the Deseret News. “My best guess is the option that we’ll ultimately consider, is bringing the team back intact, but I don’t know what other things are going to come our way,” Lindsey said. In order to do that, they’d have to sign unrestricted free agent Derrick Favors and restricted free agent Dante Exum. If both players receive significant raises and the Jazz make other moves, they could find themselves close to the luxury tax. They currently have approximately $90MM in salary guarantees next season.
If Paul George re-signs with the Thunder, it will deal a blow to the narrative that other stars don’t like playing with Russell Westbrook, Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman writes. That’s why Westbrook has made public statements about wanting George to return, saying he thinks George “definitely wants to be here,” Dawson adds.
Duke combo guard Grayson Allen could be an option for the Kings if he slips into the second round, according to Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee. Sacramento holds the No. 36 overall pick and Allen is currently ranked No. 30 by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. Allen would be a fit because the Kings need guards who can provide size and shooting, Jones adds.

Pacific Notes: Thompson, Green, Clippers, Suns

May 25th, 2018 at 9:25am CST by Luke Adams

The results of this year’s All-NBA voting will have an impact on a pair of Warriors, as ESPN’s Bobby Marks observes (Twitter links). If Klay Thompson had earned a spot on an All-NBA team, he would have been eligible for a super-max extension this offseason. If Thompson doesn’t sign an extension with the club in the coming months, he could still gain super-max eligibility in 2019 by being named to next year’s All-NBA squad.

Meanwhile, Draymond Green, who also missed out on All-NBA honors this year, would’ve been eligible for a super-max in 2019 if he’d made the First, Second, or Third Team. Like Thompson, he could gain eligibility by earning an All-NBA nod next season, though only one of those two players could actually sign an early super-max extension with the Warriors — teams are limited to two such contracts, and Stephen Curry has already signed one (Kevin Durant‘s next deal isn’t a factor in this equation, since it’s a different form of contract).

While it’s worth monitoring Thompson’s and Green’s eligibility for those contracts worth 35% of the cap, it seems unlikely that the Warriors would be willing to offer either player that sort of deal anyway. The Dubs and Thompson have reportedly engaged in talks on an extension that would be worth well below the max, and Green will be on the wrong side of 30 when his current contract ends.

Here’s more from around the Pacific division:

Determining DeAndre Jordan‘s future and getting value out of their two late-lottery picks are among the top items on the Clippers‘ offseason to-do list, Marks writes in his offseason preview for the club (Insider link). The point guard position is also something of a mystery, with Milos Teodosic holding a player option and Patrick Beverley returning from a major knee injury.
While it remains to be seen whether Mike Woodson will formally join the Suns‘ coaching staff, as rumored, the team has hired another assistant, bringing aboard Magic assistant Corliss Williamson. Scott Bordow of The Arizona Republic has the story on the hiring of Williamson, who appeared in over 800 regular season games as an NBA player.
Addressing the small forward spot will be one of the Kings‘ top priorities this summer, according to Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee, who rates the position a perfect 10/10 in terms of level of need.

Andre Iguodala Out Again For Game 5

May 24th, 2018 at 6:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Warriors forward Andre Iguodala will miss his second consecutive game in the Western Conference Finals, according to the team’s Twitter feed (Twitter link).

Iguodala has a left lateral knee contusion, suffered during Game 3 when he bumped knees with James Harden. Iguodala missed Game 4 on Tuesday, when Houston rallied in the fourth quarter to even the series at 2-all. Iguodala has started 12 of 13 postseason games, averaging 7.9 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 3.1 APG and 1.4 SPG in 27.5 MPG.

Kevon Looney could draw his second consecutive start. On the positive side, shooting guard Klay Thompson is available to play despite a left knee strain, according to the tweet.

Latest On Klay Thompson, Andre Iguodala Injuries

May 24th, 2018 at 12:15pm CST by clarkcrum

MAY 24, 12:15pm: Kerr indicated today that Thompson is expected to play, while Iguodala is listed as a game-time decision (Twitter link via Mark Medina of The San Jose Mercury News).

MAY 23, 7:20pm: In somewhat surprising news, both Warriors forward Andre Iguodala and shooting guard Klay Thompson are listed as questionable for Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals tomorrow night, per an official tweet from the team.

Head coach Steve Kerr is confident both Thompson and Iguodala will play, per Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post, but the fact that both remain questionable is noteworthy nevertheless.

Iguodala, who suffered a knee contusion in Game 3, was sorely missed in the team’s Game 4 loss to the Rockets last night, while Thompson is one of the team’s four marquee stars, along with Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and Draymond Green. Missing either one of the two could hamper the Warriors’ chances in Game 5, let alone both.

Thompson suffered a strained right knee during the second quarter of Game 4, forcing him to leave the game for several minutes before returning before halftime. Per Drew Shiller of NBC Sports Bay Area, GM Bob Myers was concerned while accompanying Thompson back in the locker room.

“Watching him try to run up and down, I thought it was bad. I was thinking meniscus or something. So then when he got back to the locker room, you can always kind of gauge a player’s concern by their mannerisms. And he just threw a towel over his face and laid down on the training table. And that’s not a good sign.”

It’ll be interesting to see how Kerr will adjust his rotation if Iguodala, Thompson, or both can’t play, but one would assume both Kevon Looney and Nick Young are logical candidates to receive the increased playing time, as they did in Game 4.

Klay Thompson, Warriors Discussing Extension

May 11th, 2018 at 11:29am CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors and Klay Thompson have engaged in discussions about a potential contract extension for the veteran sharpshooter, according to Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic.

Thompson, who signed his current contract in October of 2014, will be eligible to sign a new deal starting in July. If he and the Warriors reach an agreement on an extension, that new contract would go into effect in 2019/20, after his current pact ends. An extension could keep him under team control for up to four additional seasons.

A four-time All-Star, Thompson is coming off a regular season in which he established new career highs in FG% (.488) and 3PT% (.440) to go along with his usual 20+ PPG. He also chipped in 3.8 RPG and 2.5 APG while playing solid defense.

Although the Warriors should be motivated to lock up Thompson before he reaches unrestricted free agency in 2019, it may be in the 28-year-old’s best interest to wait on a new deal. The starting salary on a veteran extension can only be worth up to 120% of his previous salary, meaning Thompson’s extension could start at approximately $22.79MM and be worth up to about $102MM over four years. That’s well below what his maximum salary would be as a free agent.

Still, Thompson has said he cares more about winning and about his happiness than he does about maxing out his earnings, as Marcus Thompson writes. It’s also worth noting that the Warriors – who will have to give Kevin Durant a raise this summer and would need to negotiate a new contract with Draymond Green by 2020 at the latest – almost certainly won’t be able to give all four of their stars max deals, given the luxury-tax ramifications.

As such, Thompson may be willing to accept a modest discount to keep the band together. Two sources tell The Athletic that Thompson and the Dubs have talked about an extension with an average annual salary of about $23MM — that would come in at approximately $92MM over four years, which puts it below the maximum value of a Thompson extension and well below the max value of a potential free agent contract.

Marcus Thompson cautions that there’s no guarantee that Klay will ink a new extension with the Warriors this offseason. The two sides would have to find a deal that works for both of them, and Durant’s new contract could be a factor in determining how much Golden State is willing to offer. Still, the fact that this discussion is already happening bodes well for Thompson’s potential long-term future in the Bay Area.

Klay Thompson Ready To Play Tonight

March 31st, 2018 at 3:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

After missing eight games with a fractured right thumb, Klay Thompson plans to play tonight against the Kings, tweets Chris Haynes of ESPN. Thompson went through the morning shootaround and is officially listed as probable for the contest.

Golden State has gone 3-5 without Thompson and has settled into the second spot in the Western Conference standings. The Warriors are starting to get healthy ahead of the playoffs, with Kevin Durant and Draymond Green already back in the lineup, although Stephen Curry is sidelined through at least the first round of the playoffs.

Thompson is averaging 19.7 points through 66 games and is shooting a career-best .443 from 3-point range. He has been an All-Star the past four seasons.