Report: Klay Thompson, Warriors 'Plan To' Agree to Max Contract When FA Starts
June 29, 2019
The Golden State Warriors and shooting guard Klay Thompson are planning to complete an agreement on a five-year, $190 million max contract when free agency opens Sunday at 6 p.m. ET.
Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic reported Saturday that the Warriors are sending a "front-office contingent" to Los Angeles to finalize the deal with Thompson.
Among the myriad of high-profile free agents available this summer, the return of Stephen Curry's Splash Brothers backcourt mate to Golden State always seemed like the safest bet.
His father, former NBA forward Mychal Thompson, told Connor Letourneau of the San Francisco Chronicle in mid-June there was "no question" his son would return to the Warriors.
Thompson, who may miss the entire 2019-20 season after suffering a torn ACL in the 2019 NBA Finals, has spent his entire career with the organization since being selected with the 11th overall pick in 2011.
The 29-year-old Los Angeles native averaged 21.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists across 78 regular-season games for the Warriors this past season. He's one of the league's premier three-and-D players.
Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times reported Friday that Thompson was prepared to listen to offers from both of his hometown teams, the Lakers and Clippers, if the Dubs didn't give him a full max contract.
Getting Thompson under contract quickly will allow Golden State's front office to shift its focus to other offseason priorities. The biggest is Kevin Durant, whose status for next season is also in question because of a ruptured Achilles but will still attract widespread interest on the open market.
If they can't retain Durant for the long haul, they will likely try to find players capable of keeping the team's dynasty alive alongside Curry, Thompson and Draymond Green.