Klay Thompson, Warriors Agree on New Contract: Latest Details and Reaction

According to the Washington Post's Michael Lee, the Golden State Warriors were reportedly in the mix for power forward Kevin Love but repeatedly refused to include guard Klay Thompson in any potential deal.

On Friday, the team once again showed its commitment to Thompson by signing him to a contract extension. The team announced the new contract: 

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The Golden State Warriors have signed guard Klay Thompson to a multi-year contract extension, the team announced today. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not announced.

"We're excited to have one of the top young players in the NBA under contract for the next several years," said Warriors General Manager Bob Myers. "Our ownership group continues to demonstrate the commitment necessary to build a championship caliber team and we anticipate that Klay Thompson will play a major role in our future success and accomplishments, both on the floor and in the Bay Area community."

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Thompson talked about the deal, per the announcement:

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"It's hard for me to express how excited and happy I am to know that I will be playing in front of the best fans in the NBA for a long time," said Thompson. "This team, under this ownership group and with this collection of players, has an incredibly bright future. I could not ask for a better situation and am extremely thankful."

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The team posted a photo of Thompson signing the contract:

Marc Stein of ESPN first reported the deal:

Yahoo Sports' Marc J. Spears provided the financial details:

Spears also reported that the Kings really wanted to make a trade for Thompson but clearly came up short:

Thompson certainly has developed into an excellent player as he enters his fourth year in the NBA. Last season, he averaged 18.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. He combined with Stephen Curry to form one of the most potent backcourts in the NBA, if not the top duo at the guard position.

Just 24 years old, Thompson has increased his scoring average in each season and helped lead Golden State to consecutive playoff appearances.

He was solid in the postseason last year for the Warriors, averaging 16.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game in seven appearances. 

He was also excellent for the United States at the FIBA Basketball World Cup this summer. In fact, Chris Sheridan of Sheridan Hoops thought he was one of the best players at the tournament:

Coming into the 2014-15 season, many folks were expecting a breakout year from Thompson. He also has high expectations for himself, as he told Lee before the season began:

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I just have to be myself. I know if I’ll be that, I’ll be fine. I know I’m going to be a great player in this league. I know if I do what I’ve been doing and improve like I’ve been doing the past three years, I know I’m going to take a huge leap. I’m not really infatuated with proving anybody wrong. I’m just going to do what I do and I’m going to be all right.

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The Warriors clearly agree, as they placed a significant financial stake in Thompson's future. Not only that, but they also chose to keep Thompson at the expense of bringing aboard an All-Star like Love. 

Time will certainly tell if both decisions were the correct ones.

Still, you can't blame the Warriors for wanting to keep the Splash Brothers together for the next few years. When the two are on top of their games, they can blow away opposing defenses. Perhaps just as important, together they make for a truly entertaining product to watch. 

The Warriors hope that remains true for years to come.