The Golden State Warriors once again proved why they are one of the best teams in the NBA in the 2021-22 season. After a strong regular season, the Dubs went on to carry that form into the postseason.
The end result was that the Warriors lifted the glorious Larry O’Brien trophy after two seasons. The primary credit for this successful championship goes to none other than Stephen Curry.
But many other players also played a crucial role in the Dubs’ return to stardom. One of them was Klay Thompson, who made his return to the NBA after missing two seasons due to injuries.
Klay might not have been at his best, but he showed his class here and there. Moreover, his return to the roster certainly played a huge role in uplifting the morale of the team.
But now it seems Klay’s return has unknowingly caused trouble for the Dubs. During his absence, the Warriors groomed Jordan Poole as a reliable player to help them win games.
Additionally, Andrew Wiggins also improved a lot during Klay’s absence. Now the Warriors are in a situation where they might have to give a max contract to either Wiggins or Poole after the 2022-23 NBA season.
NBA insiders Anthony Slater and Marcus Thompson II explained pretty well why the Dubs need a player to take a salary cut in order to accomplish that. They also explained why Klay should be the one to make the sacrifice.
Via The Athletic:
Through no fault of his own, Thompson is the reason the Warriors are in this predicament. His massive contract, as the team’s second highest-paid player, eats up a big chunk of the cap space. His absence created the opportunity for Poole to start, and Thompson’s limitations in returning opened the door for Wiggins to reveal his immense value. Poole started while Thompson was out and proved he could be productive. Wiggins assumed Thompson’s role of defending the best perimeter player and became a folk hero in the process.
So it is fitting that Thompson may be the answer to keeping as many of this core as possible. The Warriors desperately need someone to take a discount, and Thompson makes the most sense. While he should have value around the league because of the demand for shooting, his combination of age and recent injury history figures to limit how much he can command on the open market. He’d need this coming season to prove he can move like he once did, defend like he once did, shoot efficiently like he once did, to command top dollar.
Not only did Thompson get paid handsomely to rehabilitate, but he is on the record about his admiration for Curry and how he won’t play for any other coach than Kerr. He might be the likeliest to make the financial sacrifice to keep the crew together.
Right after winning the 2022 NBA Championship, Klay made a Michael Jordan-like promise to Steve Kerr. He said he doesn’t want to play for any other coach in the league.
Keeping that in mind, if the Warriors ask him to take a pay cut to keep the original trio together, then Thompson will most probably agree. After all, he would want to win a couple of more rings before retiring from the NBA.
