With the significant part of their offseason behind them heading to the end of June, the Golden State Warriors can now focus on longer term contractual issues surrounding their roster.
The biggest element of that is Klay Thompson, with the 33-year-old shooting guard eligible for a contract extension this offseason. The five-time All-Star will enter the 2023-24 season on the final year of a five-year, $190 million contract he signed in 2019.
Mark Medina believes the Golden State Warriors’ contract talks with Klay Thompson’s will follow a similar path to that of Draymond Green.
According to NBA writer Mark Medina in a recent interview with GiveMeSport, it appears unlikely that Thompson will garner a contract extension with the franchise this offseason.
“I expect the Warriors to handle talks with Thompson the same way they did with Draymond Green last season. They will let the season play out and see how Thompson performs. They then will sign him to another deal”, Medina said.
Draymond Green entered free agency earlier this month, turning his back on rival teams to commit to a new four year, $100 million deal with Golden State.
Thompson will make $43.2 million in the final year of his deal. Although Medina stopped short of mentioning specific numbers, there’s an obvious understanding that the sharpshooter will need to take a paycut in order to remain with the Warriors.
Green’s deal — on average $25 million per season — could be a good starting point depending on how Thompson performs next season. Such a salary reduction could see the franchise dip under the NBA’s new second-tax apron, eliminating a number of facets designed to penalise high-spending teams.
In his first full season back after two devastating leg injuries, Thompson averaged 21.9 points, a career-high 4.1 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game. The four-time champion shot 43.6% from the floor and 41.2% from three-point range.