Warriors set to offer Klay a two-year contract before free agency.
Klay Thompson, a winger who will soon become a free agency, and the Warriors have not yet reached an agreement, but they have recently tried.
On the “The Hoop Collective” podcast on Wednesday, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon and co-hosts Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps revealed that Golden State had made Thompson an offer before he could have tested unrestricted free agency on June 30.
McMahon remarked, “We’ve heard that it’s a two-year offer” (via Sports Illustrated’s Tom Dierberger). “It’s as much about years as dollars in some of these cases.”
The co-hosts withheld from Thompson any financial details pertaining to Golden State’s offer.
Windhorst did point out that the five-time NBA All-Star is probably not going to agree to a pay decrease comparable to those of his more senior teammates.
“Noting that Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins both recently took pay cuts, it’s fair to say that neither of them will likely average the pay cut they were likely going to want Klay to take down to the 20s (millions) if you add up Wiggins’ and Greens’ pay cuts together,” Windhorst continued.
But Wiggins and Draymond received four-year contracts after accepting pay reductions. And they are intriguing considerations if you’re Klay. This is more about respect than it is about money.
Nobody desires to forfeit money. But the four-year deals that Green and Wiggins inked demonstrate Golden State’s long-term commitment, which Thompson understandably desires.
Unfortunately, in the face of dismal prospects, the NBA’s free-agent market is neither sentimental nor welcoming.
During the 2024–25 NBA season, Thompson—who has experienced two season-ending leg injuries—will turn 35. In addition, he just finished one of the worst seasons of his illustrious 13-year NBA career, averaging 17.9 points on 43.2 percent field goal and 38.7 percent from outside the 3-point line.
It’s obvious that Thompson longs for his final star-studded, long-term contract from the one team he has ever known. But it’s a business, the NBA.
Before the 2023–24 regular season, Thompson received a two-year contract offer from Golden State, but for unknown reasons, it was never pursued.
Which uniform one of the greatest two-way shooters in league history will wear in the autumn will only become clear with time.
