The Warriors and Klay Thompson are reportedly not close to an agreement on a contract extension as the former All-NBA guard prepares to open his 13th season with Golden State on Tuesday night.
Thompson’s camp and the front office are at a “dead point” in negotiations, according to a Monday report from The Athletic, with issues both on the length of the deal and the money involved.
There is no deadline for Thompson, 33, and the Warriors to agree to a deal, but with the season opener as a deadline for extensions to many rookie contracts, it’s a time when other agreements come together, too.
The Warriors are reportedly aiming to stay under the second level of the luxury tax (expected to be around $190 million), which may be difficult with almost $115 million already committed to the other members of the Warriors’ starting five.
Thompson signed a five-year, $190 million contract in 2019 just after tearing his ACL in the NBA Finals. He missed the 2019-20 season, then tore his Achilles before the 2020-21 season and returned in January 2022. After helping the Warriors win their fourth title in the last decade, he played no pick-up ball in the offseason over injury concerns, and skipped the preseason last year.
This preseason, he played in all five games, averaging 20.4 minutes on the court.
“I loved it,” he said Sunday of his preseason. “I was playing basketball. I haven’t played preseason basketball since I can’t even remember, 2019? So I loved it.”
Thompson did not discuss his contract status Sunday with media, but general manager Mike Dunleavy said on a Monday appearance on 95.7 The Game that the Warriors want Thompson to return and he expects the five-time All-Star to have another strong season.
“Our intended plan all along is to make sure Klay’s here as a Warrior forever,” Dunleavy said. “We really want that to happen, and you gotta work through it.”
The situation is not foreign to the Warriors: Just last year, they had a similar scenario with Draymond Green. The sides never extended his contract, but within moments of his unrestricted free agency opening June 30, Green agreed to a four-year, $100 million contract.
Thompson had one of his best statistical seasons ever last season, leading the NBA with 301 made 3-pointers and shooting 41.2% from distance. He struggled in the Western Conference semifinals against the Lakers, though, making just 14 of 56 shot attempts (25%) over the final four games.
On media day Oct. 3, Thompson said he thought it was possible that he’d reach a deal with the Warriors before the season opener, but signaled he was at peace entering the season without anything signed.
“Whatever the future has in store, I’ve done so many great things in this uniform. There are many more memories to create,” he said. “Whatever happens, life is great. I can’t really complain. I’ve had an incredible run here.”
As for the challenge ahead of the Warriors in a Western Conference that features those Lakers, the champion Nuggets and the star-studded Suns, Thompson said Sunday that it’s nothing new to him.
“It’s been deep my whole career. I see a bunch of great teams from top to bottom,” he said. “There probably will not be any nights off going forward, so it’s going to be a fun challenge to accept.”
