The biggest question for the Golden State Warriors heading into the offseason is obviously the impending free agency of Kevin Durant, but they also need to write a big check to Klay Thompson if they want him to stick around. And if the amount of that check is anything less than the maximum allowed under the NBA’s salary cap, the sharpshooter may decide he is better off elsewhere.
During Monday’s edition of ESPN’s “Get Up,” Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Thompson will re-sign with the Warriors this summer without hesitation if they offer him a max contract. If not, the Los Angeles Clippers will be a team to keep an eye on.
“If they come with a five-year, $190 million max deal for Klay Thompson, that’s done on July 1—he’s going into the new building with Steph Curry,” Wojnarowski said, per Tyler Conway of Bleacher Report. “If they try to do anything less than that, you can expect Klay Thompson to be out in free agency. Watch not for the Lakers then, but the Clippers.”
Thompson would almost certainly get a max contract on the free agent market, but the Warriors can already offer him more than any other team. There has been some thought that Thompson may be open to taking a hometown discount in order to help keep Golden State’s championship core intact, but that may only be the case if Durant is re-signing as well.
If Durant decides to leave the Warriors, Thompson could argue that there is no incentive for him to take less money on his next deal. In all likelihood, the Warriors would have no problem giving him a max if that were the case.
Judging by what Thompson’s father said last year, it still seems like there’s a good chance Klay sticks around for the long haul in Golden State.
