Whenever people bring up the Golden State Warriors dynasty, Klay Thompson’s name automatically enters the fray. During his prime, the sharpshooter elevated his game in key playoff contests to aid the Warriors in their four Championship campaigns. His ability to step up during decisive Game 6 battles paved the way for the ‘Game 6 Klay’ moniker. However, those days are long gone as Thompson potentially stares at the end of his Dubs stint.
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His numbers slumped during the 2023-24 season and his market value also diminished significantly with it. At the same time, the Warriors’ losing record this season further reflects poorly on Thompson’s current market value. There has been a lingering notion that he felt dismayed by the franchise before the 2o23-24 season, which may have also impacted his performances.
And why not? While the team’s defensive dynamo, Draymond Green nabbed a four-year, $100 million deal in the 2023 offseason, Thompson was offered a two-year, $43 million deal at the time.
Currently, the 34-year-old is looking for one final long-term deal that caps off his career on a high note. However, as per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, like the 2023 offseason, the Dubs are still unwilling to give Thompson a deal that goes past the two-year window.
The Warriors have offered Klay Thompson a two-year deal, per @espn_macmahon via @esidery.
Klay is reportedly looking for at least a three-year contract. pic.twitter.com/9xUqaFolz3
— WarriorsMuse (@WarriorsMuse) June 21, 2024
Is this why Klay Thompson decided to unfollow the Golden State Warriors’ official Instagram handle recently? Sports broadcaster Kylen Mills opined that the four-time NBA Champion is feeling abandoned by his franchise because while they gave Green a long-term deal, they have not offered a similar contract to the him despite everything he has done for the franchise.
On X, Mills wrote, “This is what I thought and why I think Klay Thompson unfollowed the Warriors – he felt disrespected. The Warriors offered 33-year-old (at the time) Draymond Green a four-year deal in 2023, but Klay gets only two.”
Therefore, the Klay Thompson story needs a thorough examination. It is a complex tale of buoyed expectations from an aging superstar and a franchise that believes that it maybe time to look beyond their long-term elite sniper.
Klay Thompson’s muddled future
Thompson’s chances of a big contract dropped precipitously during the 2023-24 season. His scoring average fell below 20 points per game for the first time in a decade. He shot below 39% from the three-point line and disappeared during key moments in the season.
In fact, in November 2023, he put up just 15.3 points per game while shooting below 40% from the field and made just 35.1% of his three-point attempts. As a result, the Warriors suffered a six-game losing streak and began the season on an underwhelming note.
Thompson did improve by leaps and bounds after shifting to a bench role and even managed 23.1 points per game on excellent shooting splits during the first half of April. However, it all came crashing down when the SG had a horrendous 0/10 shooting night during the Play-in eliminator game against the Sacramento Kings after which his Warriors had to pack their bags before the playoffs even began.
Therefore, the Dubs have been reluctant to bank upon a player who seems to be in the twilight of his career.
But what if the 2023-24 season was a one-off? After suffering two major injuries, Klay has shown the ability to turn his fortunes around. Having been with the squad for around 13 years, he’d expect at least a three-year deal in return and expect them to believe in him after all those years. Let’s keep in mind this is the same franchise that was backing Draymond Green’s out-of-the-blue suspensions and was with him at every turn.
While it is true that Thompson’s shooting troubles haunted the Warriors last season, Green’s non-availability and consistent outbursts also downgraded their prospects of a deep playoff run. Thus, the 34-year-old expected the franchise to show more loyalty and give him what he wants.
However, the Warriors have to pay a high highest luxury tax already and in the long run, they’d probably want to shy away from investing in an athlete who may witness further erosion in efficiency.
After unfollowing the Warriors, Thompson followed Orlando Magic’s star Paolo Banchero, fueling the rumors of him going to the Florida franchise. Magic does have ample cap space and can offer a long-term contract that suits the 4x champion. However, as per Yahoo insider Jake Fischer, Magic isn’t willing to make an offer that exceeds the two-year period as well.
While Orlando is on the hunt for a floor spacer after a horrendous long-range season, they are still hesitant in offering a catch-and-shoot player a long-term contract. Thus, Klay Thompson’s future hangs by a thread and he may need to take a back-seat in his pursuit of a three/four-year contract to stay in the NBA.
