Golden State Warriors star Klay Thompson is entering the final year of his contract with the team and is set to enter free agency in the summer of 2024. However, NBA writer Mark Medina believes that there is a mutual interest between the player and the team to come to an agreement over a new deal so that the five-time All-Star remains a Warrior for the rest of his career.
NBA news – Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors’ main priority for heading into their off-season was ensuring that they retained Draymond Green, who was set to become a free-agent. In a deal worth a reported $100 million, per The Athletic’s Shams Charania, they managed to keep a hold of the 2017 Defensive Player of the Year, despite rumors that multiple other NBA teams were interested in the four-time All-Star.
With Green and franchise star Stephen Curry tied down to the team long-term, attention now shifts to another member of the Warriors’ championship-winning trio, Klay Thompson, who is due to hit free-agency next summer.
Mark Medina previously told GIVEMESPORT that he believes the Warriors would be looking to compensate Thompson for being on ‘team-friendly’ contracts in the past, while also giving him the financial stability to not rush his body back to prove things. This comes after Thompson suffered two serious injuries back-to-back which forced him to miss the entire 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons, only making his return to the court mid-way through their 2022 championship-winning campaign, and having only one full season under his belt since.
What the final number of the Warriors seemingly forthcoming offer will be, though, remains to be seen.
Will Klay Thompson stay with the Warriors for the rest of his career?
Medina thinks there is no doubt that Thompson will remain with the Warriors for the rest of his career, and that it is just a matter of how much the team are willing to offer him in exchange for his services. Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the journalist said:
“I think some of these things are in the weeds a little bit, because I think at the bottom line Klay Thompson doesn’t want to go anywhere. He wants to have his entire NBA career with the Warriors. The Warriors feel the same way. It’s just now going to be a matter of what does that dollar number look like? I think that, ideally for the Warriors, they find that sweet spot where they’re very calculated with their spending, but they also are spending and rewarding Klay for what he’s done.”
How have the Warriors big three performed in the playoffs?
A large part of the Warriors’ success in their pursuit of four NBA titles over the last decade has largely been because of their core trio in Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.
In their 2023 playoffs first-round series with the Sacramento Kings, in Game 2 the big three won their 94th game together, the third-most by a trio in NBA postseason history, according to ESPN Statistics and Information Research. After going on to win four more games, they now trail just behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson and Michael Cooper for the L.A Lakers with 110 games won, and the San Antonio Spurs’ Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, leading the way with 126 wins.
With both Stephen Curry and Draymond Green tied down long-term to the Warriors, and the optimism over Thompson also committing his future to the Dubs, there is a strong possibility that should they continue to make the post-season each year, then they could break the record set by the Spurs. Should they do so, then they make a good case for being one of the greatest big three’s in the illustrious history of the NBA.
When Thompson missed his two seasons through injury, the Golden State Warriors looked a shell of themselves, failing to make the playoffs entirely after making five consecutive trips to the Finals, winning three titles along the way. Upon his return to action, the Warriors found their form again and won yet another championship, signaling just how important it is for the Bay Area to have their trio healthy and playing together.
As a result, is imperative that the Golden State Warriors and Klay Thompson come to an agreement over an extension to ensure that the four-time champion never wears the jersey of another NBA organization for the entire rest of his indisputably hall-of-fame worthy career. It’s surely only a matter of time now, but how much will they pay him? That is the only question that still remains.