While a sense of on-court optimism continued for the Golden State Warriors on Sunday, there was an element of pessimism regarding one of their biggest off-court decisions over the next nine months.
Prior to the Warriors’ 121-115 overtime victory against the Sacramento Kings — their third-straight preseason win — ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowksi reported that there has been “absolutely no progress” on a contract extension for veteran shooting-guard Klay Thompson.
Adrian Wojnarowksi’s report, and accompanying words from former General Manager Bob Myers, could spell trouble for the Golden State Warriors in regard to Klay Thompson’s future.
Speaking on NBA countdown, Wojnarowksi revealed that the franchise and Thompson’s management “are still apart on years and money.” The 33-year-old is entering the final season of a five-year deal and is set to make $43.2 million this season.
Joining the ESPN broadcast, former Golden State General Manager Bob Myers did little to arrest fears on Thompson’s future after Wojnarowksi’s report.
"“This is why I left, Myers joked. This is not a just business situation. There’s going to be a statue of this player outside Chase Center. He was instrumental in bringing four championships…From what I know and see, he wants to stay. They want him to stay. Doesn’t mean it will happen. But it is a test…this is probably the first real test.”"
Reporting for NBA Countdown on the Klay Thompson extension talks, including ESPN analyst Bob Myers' window into the negotiating stakes for the Golden State Warriors and the franchise's storied guard pic.twitter.com/YpZaIppooU
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 16, 2023
Acknowledging this as the ‘first real test’ is an intriguing comment from Myers, particularly given the franchise just went through Draymond Green’s unrestricted free agency this offseason.
Perhaps he’s referring to it as the first real test for his successor, Mike Dunleavy Jr., who officially took over from Myers in June. The two-time NBA Executive of the Year undoubtedly laid much of the groundwork for Green’s new four-year, $100 million deal, something the franchise won’t be afforded this time around.
Wojnarowski’s report comes shortly after positive comments from Thompson, with the five-time All-Star declaring “I wouldn’t want to go anywhere else” in a recent interview with The Athletic’s Anthony Slater.
Thompson may have to take a pay cut of nearly $20 million to extend his tenure with the franchise, having originally been selected by the Warriors with the 11th overall in the 2011 NBA Draft.