Star guard Klay Thompson had the chance to secure nearly $50 million over two years with the Golden State Warriors this summer. Instead, he bet on himself and it’s a mistake that experts say could mark a turning point for Klay’s career.
“They’ve lost four of their six, six of their last 10, and nine of their last 13,” said Shams. “Last night, Andrew Wiggins, Klay Thompson, and Kevon Looney all were benched… He should have limitless opportunities to figure this out but Klay Thompson’s future has been in question. I’m told that the Warriors offered a deal, 2 years in the range of 48 million dollars in an extension to Klay Thompson before the season, and now there’s no deal.”
"[Klay Thompson's] future has been in question…I'm told that the Warriors offered a deal, 2 years in the range of 48 million dollars in an extension to Klay Thompson before the season, and now there's no deal."@ShamsCharania on the current state of the Golden State Warriors.… pic.twitter.com/B0T6rRMo5K
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) December 13, 2023
The Warriors are already heavily into the luxury tax, a penalty usually reserved for the NBA’s top-flight contenders. Nevertheless, even with a payroll of over $208.2 million, the team has been painfully mediocre with no signs of improvement. With failure on all fronts, no one person is to blame for the struggles but Klay Thompson’s future has become increasingly doubtful amid a growing sense of unease in San Francisco.
The worst part of it all for Thompson is how quickly this has all regressed. Over just the span of a few months, things went from hopeful to downright ugly and nobody can predict how it all turn out.
Is This The End For Klay?
At the start of last season, Thompson was experiencing a similar shooting drought as he was rounding into form from his injuries. By the end of the season, despite a turbulent Warriors run, Klay was at least somewhat recognizable with shooting splits of 43.6/41.2/87.9% from the field. This season, he’s down to just 39% shooting, including a career-low 34% from beyond the arc. For a player who is coming off two major injuries, this decline should be expected, but the Warriors are somehow still left unprepared.
In the 119-116 win over the Suns on Tuesday, Steve Kerr made arguably his boldest move yet by benching Klay, and other starters, down the stretch of the game in favor of the younger, unproven veterans. For the first time since the dynasty began, it appears that Kerr is starting to lose trust in his accomplished “big three.” For Thompson, he’s not just playing for the Warriors this season. At 33 years old and with a lot to prove in the wake of recent history, Klay is also playing to preserve what is left of his NBA career.
Tough Decisions Ahead For Mike Dunleavy Jr.
At 10-13 on the season, this has been a disastrous launch for the Golden State Warriors. While it’s still relatively early on the season, intensity is rising with each loss and there is a growing sense across the league that this team is at the end of its rope. In a run that spanned almost 10 years, the Warriors became a legend in the basketball world and changed the game forever.
Now, for the sake of Stephen Curry, it’s time for them to make some tough calls and take some risks on their most beloved players. Thompson, like it or not, could just be the first domino to fall for a Warriors team that needs some serious re-tooling.
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