Golden State Warriors Can't Balk on Committing to Klay Thompson Now
The Golden State Warriors have consistently supported two-way star Klay Thompson throughout his race to a maximum contract, but now—mere steps before the finish line—they may be getting cold feet.
Apparently, treating Thompson as an NBA superstar and paying him as such are two different things. With so much energy expended on the former, though, the Dubs have to bite the bullet on the latter.
Frankly, it's a surprise this message even needs to be delivered. The Warriors had to see this coming after watching Thompson, who has until October 31 to sign an extension that would keep him out of restricted free agency next summer, spend his offseason securing a max-level raise.
His market seemed to be set once Gordon Hayward (four years, $63 million) and Chandler Parsons (three years, $46 million) scored megadeals from the Utah Jazz and Houston Rockets, respectively. Thompson was a better scorer (18.4 points per game), shooter (41.7 three-point percentage) and defender than either one last season.
Thompson was also one of 12 players selected to Team USA's 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup roster, which both Hayward and Parsons tried out for but didn't make. More than that, though, Thompson was also one of the gold-medal-winning group's most important players.
"[Thompson] has been, really, as good a player as we've had," coach Mike Krzyzewski told USA Today's Sam Amick last month. "He's consistent. ... He's become our most versatile defender. ... He's had a terrific stay with us."
Before Thompson even had the chance to raise his profile on the international stage, the Warriors had already lifted it for him.
They were engaged in trade talks for perennial All-Star Kevin Love, but the deal hit a snag due to an "organizational split" on the team's willingness to part with Thompson, sources told ESPN.com's Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne. Love was later sent to the revamped Cleveland Cavaliers in a package that brought back, among others, this year's No. 1 draft pick, Andrew Wiggins.
Love, for the record, finished the 2013-14 campaign ranked fourth in scoring (26.1), third in rebounding (12.5), third in player efficiency rating (26.9) and third in win shares (14.3). That is the caliber of player the Warriors had a chance of acquiring, and they passed up that opportunity—at least in part—because of Thompson.
While that seems like a firm commitment to Thompson's future, the team has yet to (literally) put its money where its mouth is. Despite interest from both sides in getting something done, Comcast SportsNet's Monte Poole reports that contract negotiation talks have stalled:
"There has been no movement in recent weeks. As of Thursday morning, the sides remain $2-3 million a year apart, according to NBA sources.
The dithering seems pointless when all parties consistently state their desire for a deal. The Warriors want it. Thompson wants it. His teammates want it. And there is no indication Klay's agent, Bill Duffy, has lost the optimism he expressed last month.
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If that sounds puzzling, it should.
All previous signs have pointed not only to Thompson inking a max extension but also to the Warriors being the team to cut the check. As Bleacher Report's Sean Highkin observed, there seems to be a disconnect between what has transpired and what is now taking place:
It's not as if Thompson has done anything to lower his price tag.
He has 45 points in 51 preseason minutes. The three-point cannon responsible for the most perimeter makes in NBA history over the first three seasons of a career (545) has flashed with regularity, as he has connected on six of his eight long-range looks.
Overall, he has converted 57.1 percent of his field-goal attempts. While most of his damage has come from distance—and given his three-point proficiency, why wouldn't it?—he has also showcased an off-the-dribble attack he has been routinely criticized for not having.
His 25-point performance against the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night even drew rave reviews from five-time champion Kobe Bryant, per Diamond Leung of Bay Area News Group:
Thompson's offensive arsenal is deeper than most think, but critics routinely point to the statistical holes in his game.
Last season, his 18.7 passes per game were the fewest among any player to see at least 30 minutes of action a night, per NBA.com's SportVU player tracking data. His 4.7 rebounding percentage was the second-lowest out of all players 6'7" or taller with the same workload requirement.
Those sound like critical weaknesses, but these numbers are a bit deceptive.
On the rebounding front, Thompson's opportunities are limited by his role. The Warriors try to maximize his impact as a floor spacer. Of his 1,357 field-goal attempts last season, over 42 percent came from beyond the arc. Another 34.6 percent came between 10 feet away from the basket and the three-point line.
That positioning doesn't exactly lend itself to putting in work on the glass, and neither does chasing point guards around the perimeter to keep Stephen Curry fresh at the defensive end.
It's also worth noting that a lot of players Thompson's height or taller don't man the shooting guard position. Among those who do, his rebounding average (3.1) is in the same ballpark as guys like Joe Johnson (3.4) and Kevin Martin (3.0). So, it's not as if Thompson is missing out on a ton of boards other 2-guards are tracking down.
Plus, the Warriors ranked ninth in rebounding percentage last season (51.1). They were eighth (51.3) the year before. With Andrew Bogut (10.0 rebounds) and David Lee (9.3) manning the middle, Golden State isn't exactly hurting on the glass.
As for Thompson's paltry passing numbers, those can largely be dismissed by the way he has been utilized in this offense.
Last season, no one attempted more catch-and-shoot jumpers per game than Thompson (7.6), via SportVU. Only former MVP Dirk Nowitzki averaged more catch-and-shoot makes (3.5 to 3.4). Considering Thompson knocked down those shots at a 44.7 percent clip (44.2 percent from three), the Warriors don't have a lot of motivation to move him away from that play type.
Thompson could stand to tighten his handles and improve his dribble-penetration game, but even that isn't a major concern in today's NBA.
"With the movement of Spurs Basketball sweeping through the league (as it should) the need for shooting guards playing off the bounce, one-on-one, a la Allen Iverson is much more of a lessening need than is the high IQ ball movement and extremely efficient shooting ability," wrote HoopsHype's David Nurse.
Thompson can be both a specialist and a star. There is plenty to be said for maximizing one's strengths, especially when those strengths grade out as elite.
Not every player is going to have a perfectly well-rounded game. Most of them don't, in fact.
Golden State hasn't asked Thompson to step outside of his lane; the masses have mistakenly made that request. As Sports Illustrated's Ben Golliver wrote, Thompson has excelled in the exact areas the Warriors need him most:
"Even if his off-the-dribble game is limited and he doesn't really get to the line that often, Thompson's spot-up shooting and his ability to create good looks with his off-ball movement are more than enough to make him a deadly secondary threat alongside Curry. The widespread credit he has received recently for his effort level and fundamentals on defense is deserved, and he cleanly fits the prototype of what a shooting guard should be.
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In other words, Thompson is about to get paid—both for what he does and what he means to this team.
The Warriors have to know this, and truth be told, they probably do. It's hard to blame them for trying to save a few pennies at the negotiating table, and it still seems likely he will remain a part of their long-term plans.
But this situation needs to end with Thompson's signature on the dotted line. And that means following through with his superstar treatment by putting a max offer on the table.
The Dubs could wait to see if one surfaces next summer and then match it, but that's only delaying the inevitable. It is definitely coming.
"League sources are adamant in saying Timberwolves boss Flip Saunders was prepared to give Thompson a max deal if Minny were to pry to Klay away from the Warriors as part of a deal for power forward Kevin Love," Poole reported.
The Wolves wouldn't be the only ones willing to cross that bridge, either. Not with the salary cap exponentially increasing in the coming seasons thanks to the league's new $24 billion TV deal.
The Warriors need Thompson, and they haven't tried to mask that fact.
"We love Klay," Warriors owner Joe Lacob told Amick. "He is clearly an integral part of our team and our future."
Thompson, meanwhile, has no worries. He is in a great situation with Golden State, and anything capable of luring him away from the Bay would come with a fat contract attached.
"I don't think he's too concerned," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said, per Leung. "He knows something really good is going to happen one way or the other."
For the Warriors, this can only have one solution: paying Thompson what he has earned and continuing their quest toward a world title. Even if they feel the rate is a little steep, they do not want to find out what the alternative would be.
Unless otherwise noted, statistics used courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and NBA.com.
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