- Klay Thompson and Steve Kerr will be out of contract after next season
- Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy says extending them is a high priority for the team
- Dunleavy believes Klay can still contribute on the court and regards Kerr as one of the best coaches
The Golden State Warriors have made two very big decisions in this 2023 off-season. The Warriors signed Draymond Green to a four-year, $100 million deal and traded Jordan Poole to the Washington Wizards for Chris Paul. They still have some big deals to get over the line, though, concerning Klay Thompson and head coach Steve Kerr.
Klay will be a free agent in 2024, as he enters the final year of the five-year, $190 million deal he signed in 2019, while Kerr’s deal also expires after next season. Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy was asked about their futures on the Dubs Talk podcast, and he stated they value Klay and Kerr very highly (starts at the 21:19 mark).
“Those are guys we definitely want to get locked up moving forward,” Dunleavy said. “Been a big part of what we’ve done here and I think they can still contribute, especially Klay on the court. Steve, one of the best, if not the best coach in the league.
“So, high priority level in terms of getting those guys done,” Dunleavy continued. “We’ll see. Obviously, there’s always a financial component and (do) guys want to be here and all that. We greatly value them and hope we can work things out.
“We have had good conversations and I think we’ll continue to do that,” Dunleavy added. “Optimistic that we can work things out with both those guys.”
Klay had a good regular season for the Warriors, with averages of 21.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game, but he struggled in the playoffs. The Warriors don’t seem to be too concerned by that, it appears.
It had been reported though, that Thompson is expecting a max contract this offseason while the Warriors wanted Klay to take a pay cut, which could have spelled some trouble. Dunleavy seems confident, however, that they’ll get it done at some point.
As for the head coach, Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the talk around the league is Kerr would be eyeing a $20 million per year deal. That comes after seeing Monty Williams get a massive six-year, $72 million deal from the Pistons.
Kerr has won four championships in nine seasons with the Warriors and has a 473-238 record in that time in the regular season. He is one of the best coaches in the league, and no one would blame him for wanting a big deal. The Warriors ownership has never had an issue with spending big, so you’d expect this to get done.
The Jordan Poole Trade Made A Klay Thompson Extension Possible
As we entered this offseason, a breakup of the Warriors Big 3 seemed not too far away. With the new CBA in place, it just wasn’t going to be possible for them to have Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green on big deals, as Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins had sizable contracts as well.
Trading away Poole means his contract is off the books for the coming seasons. Paul’s salary for 2024-25, meanwhile, is not guaranteed, so the Warriors could potentially just cut ties with him after next season and not have that $30 million hit on their books. That then opens the door for Klay to get a significant contract without causing any big cap-related issues.
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