Panic swept the streets in San Francisco following a report that All-Star guard Klay Thompson was far apart on contract extension talks with the Golden State Warriors. As one of the franchise’s “golden boys,” a divorce with Klay would break many hearts across the West Coast. Fortunately for Warriors fans, team owner Joe Lacob isn’t worried about Thompson’s future and called on all the fans to “chill” with the narratives.
“We want him back. He wants to be back. It’s kind of like Draymond [Green’s contract situation this past summer]. I think everyone needs to just chill a little bit,” said Lacob. “Let it take its course. My guess is it works out. I can’t control it. I can’t dictate it. You can’t dictate it. Fans can’t dictate it. These things have to take their course. There are different parties involved, but the intentions are really good.”
For context, Draymond Green entered the 2023 offseason as an unrestricted free agent and it sparked countless rumors about a potential departure. As we now know, Dray almost immediately re-signed with the Warriors and put all the rumors to bed with a long-term agreement. Klay could be headed down a similar trajectory, but there’s no guarantee the results will be the same.
Klay Could Leave The Warriors In 2024
At 33 years old, coming off two major injuries, Klay Thompson probably isn’t going to get the max. And while his precise value is highly debatable, he’s going to be seeking a high salary as a 5x All-Star, 4x champion, and 2x All-NBA player. Meanwhile, the Warriors are already paying the luxury tax with a bill of roughly $275 million. If they don’t win this year, or Thompson fails to deliver on a star-caliber season, the team might want to think twice before re-signing Thompson on a huge new deal.
The truth is, following injuries to his ACL and Achilles tendon, Klay isn’t the same guy he used to be, and his effectiveness on the court has waned since his glory days with Curry in the late 2010s. Last season, with an average of 21.9 points and 4.1 rebounds per game on 43.6% shooting, Thompson saw a major drop-off in his shooting numbers, and an even worse drop-off on defense, where he used to be among the best of the best.
The Last Dance For The Warriors?
Until the core breaks up, only a fool would count out the Warriors completely, but it’s not overselling it to say that time is running out. Steph, who turned 35 years old in March, is entering his 15th season and it remains to be seen how long he can keep playing at an MVP level. Regarding Klay and Draymond Green, their decline is already at hand and it was made obvious in the 2023 postseason.
For the new season, it will once again fall on Curry to lead the way and carry his team to victory but any more losses to the roster could spell disaster for their title chances. To keep the dynasty intact and keep the Curry era alive, the Warriors are going to have to make some tough decisions — and Klay’s future will be at the top of the list.
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