Warriors’ re-signing of Klay Thompson was the right move

The news many Golden State Warriors’ fans have been waiting for is here: the Warriors have agreed to a four-year, $70 million extension with Klay Thompson.

Finally, after months of angling, contract discussions, and endless speculation, the Splash Brothers will continue on for another four more foreseeable years!

It seemed like a no-brainer, really. After declining to include Thompson in the trade for Kevin Love, the writing was on the wall for the Warriors to re-sign Klay. There will be detractors that claim the team overpaid for what is essentially a 3-and-D player. While it may be true that Klay’s greatest strengths are his three-point shooting ability and his defense, he is more than just your average “3-and-D” player.

Klay and Stephen Curry are perfect complements for each other. Curry’s struggles on the defensive end are well documented, and having him chase around top-tier point guards for an entire game will surely adversely affect his offensive approach. The Warriors need to pair him with a strong defensive player that can cover his flaws, and Klay is the perfect man for the job.

Furthermore, Thompsons’ shooting ability makes him one of the best shooters in the league. He and Curry are game-changers that force opposing defences to bend to keep track of them, and even without the ball, they are threats. If having one such player makes the offense run so much more smoothly, imagine the effect of having two on your roster.

There will always be a discrepancy between a player’s perceived value by their incumbent team and their value from the other teams’ perspectives. And nothing shows that more than contract extensions and restricted free agency.

Take for example, Gordon Hayward. Before last season’s contract extension deadline, the Utah Jazz and Hayward were unable to agree on a contract extension. Hayward wanted a deal in the $50 million range over four years, while Utah was only willing to offer a deal worth $40 million-plus. Hayward was allowed to enter restricted free agency, and the Jazz ended up matching a four year, $63 million offer from the Charlotte Hornets.

The valuation of the one single player was different between three separate parties. Coming back to Thompson and the Warriors, it’s true that in the eyes of other teams, Klay does not deserve a max contract, but to the Warriors, he’s worth every penny.

It’s also important to note that the max contract Klay signed won’t be one in two years’ time. The cap is expected to rise in two years with the new NBA TV deal. The cap is evaluated each year based on the “Basketball-Related Income” for the league that year, and the new $2 billion deal could skyrocket the cap. A max contract for a player with six or fewer years of experience in the NBA is worth 25 percent of the salary cap.

If the projections are correct and the cap rises by $22 million (as per Grantland’s Zach Lowe), the new max for a $88 million cap is $22 million. That’s $5.4 million more than what Klay signed with the Warriors’ for. In the long run, the Warriors are actually saving money by signing him to a max deal now.

Finally, could you imagine the backlash that would follow if Klay ended up leaving the Warriors in free agency? I know it’s unlikely because the Warriors own the rights to match any contract Klay receives in the offseason, but he could just as easily accept the qualifying offer and play the 2015-16 season for $4.2 million before entering the subsequent offseason as an unrestricted free agent.

Again, it’s unlikely, but the possibility is there. The Warriors have built themselves into a contender; to lose one of their key players would simply leave them tumbling back into mediocrity. It’s a gamble that I’m sure many Warriors’ fans were happy for the team to not make.

So while the rest of the league may ridicule or question the organization’s decision to pay Klay the max, let’s ignore them, sit back and relax as we look forward to the possibility of a Golden State Warriors’ dynasty.