Klay Thompson is entering the final year of his current $189 million contract. There has been little movement in negotiations between the veteran sharpshooter and the Golden State Warriors front office. Thompson will likely play out the current season before negotiating a potential extension to remain in the Bay Area.
Speaking on an episode on FanDuel’s “Run It Back,” Shams Charania noted how Thompson and Golden State are currently far apart in dollars and years. Last season, the Warriors allowed Draymond Green‘s contract to run down before inking him to a new four-year $100 million deal. Charania noted Golden State could be following a similar blueprint with Thompson.
“The Warriors and Klay Thompson have been discussing an extension,” Charania said. “From what I’m told, there’s a significant gap in years and money. The negotiations right now, from what I’m told, they’re at a dead point. … The Warriors have dealt with multiple Klay Thompson free agencies. Multiple Steph Curry free agencies.
We saw with Draymond Green he was not extended last year. He had a solid year. They ended up paying him. … All signs point to Klay Thompson heading into free agency next summer. Not getting an extension done. In an ideal world, the Warriors want to take care of him. They want to pay him. But they also want to see how this season goes.”
Thompson could find himself playing a new role this season, especially on the defensive end, where Steve Kerr is looking for him to slide up multiple positions. If Thompson can rediscover some of his defensive game and remain consistent from deep, the Warriors are unlikely to lose such a significant part of their core in the summer.
Reporting on @RunItBackFDTV: There's a significant gap in extension negotiations for Golden State and Klay Thompson, league sources say, as current signs point to the four-time champion going into 2024 free agency. pic.twitter.com/0U0wSXo0hR
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 23, 2023
Assuming he remains healthy, Thompson will likely be part of Golden State’s starting lineup throughout the season. As such, he will have every opportunity to string together a solid season and earn a new deal with the Warriors in the summer of 2024.
