Report: Klay Thompson’s camp ‘frustrated’ Warriors have yet to offer a max contract extension
Oct 25, 2014, 6:30 PM EDT
Klay Thompson There’s been a lot of talk surrounding Klay Thompson this offseason, and just how much value he brings to the Warriors organization.
Enough, evidently, for the team to pull him off the table in the summer’s trade talks for Kevin Love. But not yet enough to offer him a max contract extension.
That last part is reportedly causing some frustration on Thompson’s side, with the deadline to come to an agreement less than a week away.
From Marc Spears of Yahoo Sports:
Klay Thompson’s camp is frustrated that the Golden State Warriors haven’t offered a maximum contract in their ongoing extension talks with Friday’s deadline nearing, sources told Yahoo Sports.
Thompson is seeking a maximum deal paying upward of $15 million per season, a source said. The Warriors have improved their offer to get in the vicinity but have not offered a full maximum contract, sources said. …
Warriors owner Joe Lacob has yet to become comfortable offering a maximum extension, sources said. A source close to Thompson said any offer shy of a max would be “absurd” considering his improvement and the influx of money to come to NBA teams from the next television contract.
It’s important to note here that Thomson’s “camp” isn’t necessarily Thompson himself. Earlier this summer it was reported that Thompson was “pissed” that the Warriors had even considered trading him, when he came out later and said that wasn’t even close to being the case.
Agents are most likely to leak this kind of information, for obvious reasons. But if the Warriors truly believe they can save a few million per season on Thompson’s next deal, his future status as a restricted free agent means that they hold (almost) all of the leverage.
A max deal now may, however, be in Golden State’s best interest.
While Thompson has said he prefers the security of a long-term deal now instead of waiting until the cap increases significantly due to money from the new broadcast rights deal hitting in the summer of 2016, things could change if the relationship were to go south. There’s far more money for Thompson to make by waiting, and we’ve seen restricted free agents like Greg Monroe choose to play under a one-year qualifying offer to place a very large bet on themselves.
In much the same way Stephen Curry‘s deal was questionable at the time due to his history of injury but looks like an incredible bargain now, Thompson at the current max money level may seem like a reasonable contract when the salary cap skyrockets in a couple of years, as long as he continues to improve as expected.
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- kamanmypants - Oct 25, 2014 at 7:10 PM
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Way too much. They should’ve traded him for Love when they could, Klay ain’t worth max.
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- johnterry33 - Oct 26, 2014 at 4:10 PM
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Everyone was impressed with his preseason play but watch the regular season if he can maintain it. Klay rarely gets to the FT line, averages only 2 rebounds a game and benefits from playing alongside Steph Curry and Iguodala. A glorified spot up shooter and average defender who is only playing well now because of the contract extension. I’ve watched GSW struggle because of him in close games, Klay disappears in the 4th quarter and the team always relies on Curry. If anyone deserves max on that team it’s Curry. He was even featured on nba tv yesterday and even admitted he got a big head after guarding tony Parker in the 2013 playoffs, he thought he could guard any pg in the league. I think Cp3 and westbrook would disagree with that.
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- blogsk3tball - Oct 26, 2014 at 6:31 PM
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With the new TV deal. i’d say he is well worth the money!
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- hannah20ford - Oct 27, 2014 at 8:10 AM
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Klay is going to get the Max, the GSW owner is only 3 million away from getting Klay what he wants. He is valuable to the team now but I just think Barnes has a higher ceiling than him in the years to come.
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- 00maltliquor - Oct 25, 2014 at 7:55 PM
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I’m frustrated that he thinks he’s a max player. Klay is really starting to turn me off lately, no Romo.
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- ProBasketballPundit - Oct 25, 2014 at 8:28 PM
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It’s official! I’m tired of hearing about Klay Thompson. I tolerated all of the crap about him vs. Kevin Love vs. every other 2-guard. I tolerated the crap about his feelings about things. But this is where I draw the line. Klay, shut up. Shut your people up. Go play basketball.
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- 00maltliquor - Oct 25, 2014 at 9:08 PM
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Amen brother Pundit. Hallelujah.
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- zachbissett - Oct 27, 2014 at 11:38 AM
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there isn’t a single quote from Klay here
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- Kurt Helin - Oct 28, 2014 at 11:43 AM
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Of course not. Do you know how this works? The agent/people around the player both speak to the team and leak to the media when it suits their interests. Klay wants a max, his people leak it so he can remain seeming above board. Same thing in politics, other walks of life.
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- unfrozencavemanlawyer2 - Oct 25, 2014 at 8:40 PM
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GS GM done messed up. Shoulda swapped him for Love. I like Klay, but now GS is going to be forced to overpay a glorified 3 and D guy.
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- andrewwiggins22 - Oct 25, 2014 at 9:45 PM
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Klay is not a max player. I don’t know how Chandler Parsons got his deal but I think both of them should only worth $9 to $11M a year.
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- spursareold - Oct 27, 2014 at 10:10 AM
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Chandler Parsons got his deal because Cuban wanted to kick Morey in the balls.
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- zachbissett - Oct 27, 2014 at 11:39 AM
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that’s EXACTLY what $15 million is going to look like in 2 years..read the article man
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- twofoursixeightten - Oct 25, 2014 at 11:25 PM
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It’s Charlotte’s fault for offering Hayward that max contract, even that Parsons deal was over the top. Now every player thinks they deserve max deals.
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- csbanter - Oct 26, 2014 at 12:18 AM
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Klay Thompson or Wes Matthews ? I vote for Wes, klay is soft on defense, IMO.
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- 00maltliquor - Oct 26, 2014 at 1:20 AM
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Mmmm…that’s a tough one. I’ll take Lance Stephenson tho. I think he’s actually the best two-way SG. Can’t go wrong with Matthews though. He knows his place.
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- seedeevee - Oct 26, 2014 at 2:58 AM
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Other players are afraid of Lance Stephenson. No one is afraid of Klaysoft.
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- 202folife - Oct 26, 2014 at 12:34 AM
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Wait, so this dude thinks he’s worth a max deal? LOOOOOOOOOOL! FOH!
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- andrewwiggins22 - Oct 26, 2014 at 8:20 PM
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Just as Ricky Rubio thinks himself.
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- yokiisthename - Oct 26, 2014 at 12:39 AM
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Ha. Klay’s camp is trying scare tactics so he’ll get the max.
Thompson is RFA, so Warriors have options. They can easily just match a max contract offer he gets by next summer. They can also match an offer lower than the max, especially if Klay gets a down year this season.
Klay’s camp is trying to power play to make sure he gets paid, regardless of performance. Aint going to work. Dubs have ALL the leverage.
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- kobeslapsjordan - Oct 26, 2014 at 2:02 AM
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Lance Stephenson!? Wow ….chats stretching it. I say Kobe still at 37.
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- seedeevee - Oct 26, 2014 at 2:56 AM
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If he has got a “camp”, he is already too much trouble.
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- campcouch - Oct 26, 2014 at 5:07 AM
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Minnesota would’ve paid.
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- 00maltliquor - Oct 26, 2014 at 10:36 AM
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Yeah. Just like they paid Love that full max or right now as they are letting the ink dry on that max Rubio extension huh?
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- davincizsp - Oct 26, 2014 at 8:56 AM
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I think Klay is actually improving and this guy does have this kinda potential to be a max player. But to be honest there are punch of young players around this league reach this level(no less than 30) so Warriors please try not to do something stupid just like what Jazz offered to Gordon Hayward
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- digg2000 - Oct 26, 2014 at 2:04 PM
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What has this guy ever done to deserve a max contract??
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- somatg3 - Oct 27, 2014 at 9:05 AM
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Warriors are clueless. They could have had Kevin Love for Klay and love is actually worth the max. They should have used that threat of a trade to re-sign Klay to the same 5 year 60 mil deal that steph curry got, and if he wouldn’t agree, trade him for love. Warriors completely dropped the ball. Now they have a disgruntled player on their hands for the next year or two that will eventually leave for the max deal somewhere else.
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- arrondior - Oct 27, 2014 at 10:30 AM
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What they are going to do is show Klay’s camp his production from last season. But I actually think he has improved. Typically I would side with them and say, let him play this year out for the contract. Thing is with the new TV money coming and with what they have seen this summer, they are in a good position to get him on the cheap. They already have Curry under contract for way less than he’s worth. They should go ahead and lock up this back court and work their front court next season.
Just my $.02
