Klay Thompson‘s future hangs over the Golden State Warriors this season as they try to continue their dynasty period.
As per Hoopshype’s Michael Scotto, seven of the eight executives he surveyed believe Thompson will ultimately re-sign with the Warriors.
“Klay’s not leaving,” one NBA executive informed Scotto. “The Warriors can’t allow him to leave. He’s a four-time champion, and they can’t easily find someone to replace him. At some point, if a player isn’t performing well and still wants to play as he gets older, you’d come off the bench, and he’s doing that while playing better. Maybe they connect his contract to Steph’s. Klay’s value is in the $20-25 million range.”
The maximum amount of money Thompson wanted last summer will not be available this offseason after his struggles on the court and his transition to the bench. However, his eventual acceptance of his new role as the Warriors’ 6th Man despite his initial resistance could be the key for him and their front office to find common ground.
But the same NBA executive did not rule out two teams who could attempt to attract Thompson away from the Bay Area with more money and a starting role.
“I think other teams would sign him,” the NBA exec told Scotto. “If you’re Detroit, wouldn’t you appreciate that level of maturity and experience? Monty Williams wants a mature player. If you’re the Magic, wouldn’t you want a mature player? They need a true shooting guard. Jalen Suggs is a combo guard. I think Gary Harris could be gone this summer. Let the point guard position be a combination of Anthony Black, Suggs, and Cole Anthony. Orlando likes size, which Klay has, and he’d provide them with shooting.”
'I’m Me Whether I Start or Come off the Bench'
After yelling when Steve Kerr informed him of his decision to move him to the bench, Thompson has come to accept his new role.
“I still think I’m me whether I start or come off the bench,” Thompson informed reporters after scoring 25 points off the bench in the Warriors’ 125-122 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Thursday, March 7. “The most important part of playing is just being yourself. You don’t want to pigeonhole yourself into playing a certain role and it’s been an easy transition for me and I look forward to continuing to try and help this team win as many games as possible.”
Although it is still a small sample size, Thompson has shot the ball better in his new role as a reserve than as a starter.
He is averaging 18.8 points on 43.4% shooting from deep in eight games off the bench this season. In contrast, Thompson averaged 16.7 points on 36.9% 3-point shooting as a starter.
Pathway for Warriors to Re-Sign Klay Thompson
According to Bleacher Report’s salary cap expert Eric Pincus, the Warriors still have a way to re-sign Thompson without reaching the second apron.
“Assume [Chris] Paul is let go for financial sanity. His $30 million salary (currently non-guaranteed) can be used in trade should the Warriors choose to stay above the second apron (limiting the team to minimum players). Without Paul, Thompson can return in the $20-27 million starting salary range, giving the Warriors the TMLE,” Pincus wrote on March 1.
If Joe Lacob follows through on his plan, then that could result in the conclusion of Thompson’s time with the Warriors. Plan A1, then that could mean the end of Thompson’s tenure with the Warriors.
“But Golden State may try to avoid the tax completely, which could lead to the end of the era of the Splash Brothers—at which point the team could use the NTMLE and still stay below the threshold,” Pincus added.
