Report: Klay Thompson, Warriors expected to reach max deal at start of free agency
As expected, the Golden State Warriors and All-Star guard Klay Thompson are expected to reach an agreement on a five-year, $190 million maximum contract extension when free agency opens on Sunday, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The Warriors will extend the offer when the clock strikes 6 p.m. on Sunday, and all expectations are the two sides will reach a deal “quickly,” Wojnarowski reported.
The news came less than an hour after the Warriors announced multi-year contract extensions for general manager Bob Myers and team president Rick Welts. It was a show of unity amid questions about the team’s handling of playoff injuries to Thompson and Kevin Durant. Thompson and Durant ultimately suffered ACL and Achilles tendon tears, respectively, in the Finals that will cost them most or all of next season.
Still, the Warriors recognize the value of retaining Thompson alongside Splash Brother Stephen Curry, pairing two of the greatest shooters in history through at least the 2021-22 season, even if Thompson may not be at full strength in the first year of his new deal. They have served as the foundation for three championships.
Thompson has averaged 19.5 points per game in his eight-year career, shooting 41.9 percent from 3-point range on seven attempts per game. His 1,798 career 3-pointers has him 16th on the all-time list at the age of 29, within less than 200 (or one healthy season) of the top 10. Curry is third on that same list with 2,483.
Thompson came within 24 Third Team votes this season of making his third All-NBA roster and qualifying for the super-max extension worth $221 million over five years.
“That’s cool and all, but like when you go to five straight Finals — I respect those guys — but when you go to five straight it takes more than just a couple All-NBA guys,” Thompson told reporters last month. “It’s like an all-time team, but whatever, I’d rather win a championship than be Third Team All-NBA, so it’s all good.”
He added, “Do I think there’s that many guards better than me in the league? No.”
Myers is also expected to offer Durant his max salary of five years and $221 million when free agency opens on Sunday. The two sides have been in contact since the end of the season, according to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Brian Windhorst, with the Warriors preparing sign-and-trade possibilities in the event Durant walks.
Retaining Thompson is the first step toward ensuring the Warriors remain among the top title contenders, although injuries will make it difficult to compete next season. Per Shelburne and Windhorst, Myers is also expected to discuss an extension this summer with All-Star forward Draymond Green, who is scheduled to enter free agency next season. Curry is under contract for three more years. Even without Durant, that triumvirate is capable of returning to a sixth Finals in the future.
News of Thompson’s expected extension also comes less than 24 hours after The Los Angeles Times’ Broderick Turner reported that the five-time All-Star planned to meet with both the Los Angeles Lakers and L.A. Clippers if the Warriors did not offer him the full max at the start of free agency. The threat appears to have worked, although player options and trade clauses may still have to be ironed out.
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Ben Rohrbach is a staff writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at rohrbach_ben@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @brohrbach
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