Klay Thompson Says He Hasn't Discussed New Contract with Warriors' Front Office
October 18, 2022
In the aftermath of Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins inking contract extensions with the Golden State Warriors, the focus has shifted to when—or whether—Draymond Green and Klay Thompson are next in line.
Thompson said he and the front office are yet to have a discussion on the matter.
"I’m just going to do what I got to do to be the best I can be every day," Thompson told Mark Medina of NBA.com. "I’m going to be a great player. I know what I’m capable of. I fully expect to earn another NBA contract, whether it’s this summer or next summer. I’m fully confident in my abilities. I’m not worried about an extension in the meantime because I know it’ll happen if I just do my job and I just be myself."
Thompson is under contract through the 2023-24 season and will make $83.8 million over the next two years. After missing all of the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons because of injury, Thompson returned to the lineup for 32 games last year—albeit as an understandably lesser player.
The five-time All-Star shot a career-low 38.5 percent from three and saw his defense noticeably slip amid a loss of lateral quickness caused by his torn ACL and ruptured Achilles. He performed inconsistently over the course of the Warriors' championship run, making just 35.1 percent of his threes in their Finals win over the Boston Celtics.
The Warriors are clearly at least considering a changing of the guard around Stephen Curry. Green can be a free agent this summer and does not expect a contract extension, and the Warriors do not appear to have approached Thompson yet about a new deal. Meanwhile, Golden State inked a pair of twenty-somethings in Poole and Wiggins to four-year extensions before the start of the regular season.
Green's contract is the more pressing issue, especially given the fallout from him punching Poole in practice earlier this month. It looks less certain than ever that he's a part of Golden State's long-term planning.
Thompson seems likelier to stick around on a new contract, but it's understandable if the team wants to see him stay healthy for a full season before making a commitment.