It's time for Klay to part ways with the Warriors, and Klay's contract extension has been dragging on for months, and the two sides have been unable to find a compromise in multiple contract extension negotiations, so Klay's contract extension has not been resolved. During this time, the trade news about Klay was also overwhelming, and there were offers outside the team not renewing his contract, which had to make fans speculate that Klay would leave the Warriors.
Thompson has been in multiple contract extension talks with the Warriors, and has been asking the team for a long-term contract for four years and $223 million. But the Warriors couldn't accept the hefty offer, as well as the length of the contract, and the gap between the two sides was too big. Since the team can't accept a long-term contract, Klay also wants to stay here, in order to alleviate the unhappiness caused by the renewal issue and the team, Klay chose to reduce the length and amount of the contract, and asked the Warriors for a two-year contract extension worth $110 million, even then the Warriors still failed to accept the offer.
NBA reporter Shams Sharania recently reported that Klay Thompson is increasingly likely to leave the Warriors. It's not a rumor, as there are already teams offering Thompson in the hope of getting him next season. Sharania revealed that the Pistons, Magic and Spurs are all interested in Thompson, and their teams have ample salary space, so all three teams can offer Thompson a four-year, $200 million maximum contract.
For a player at the end of his career, the most realistic thing for him is to sign the last long-term contract with a maximum salary, because this is the last chance of his career to get a big contract, so he wants to fight for this last long-term maximum salary for himself. Thompson is no exception, he has been slow to complete a contract extension with the Warriors, and the above factors are the deciding factors, whether it is the player or the team, they are not on the same position, so it is difficult to achieve a unified view.
Previously, Clay's contract extension problem was stuck on the length of time, and Clay asked for a contract of 4 years. The team's general manager, Mike Dunleavy, also expressed hope that Thompson, Curry and Kerr will remain on two-year contracts, which is a viable option that can be balanced. Kerr's early contract extension is two years and $35 million, and after this season, Curry's contract is only two years and $115 million, and the Warriors' management has a clear plan to keep Thompson's contract extension in line with Kerr and Curry, both expiring in 2026, so that the team has more room to operate in the summer of 2026.
Now Clay has followed Dunleavy's idea and offered to shorten his contract. Dunleavy also suggested that Thompson's asking price for a contract extension was unrealistic. Dunleavy mentioned that Thompson's competitive form this season is not ideal, he was demoted to a bench player by Kerr, averaging 17.4 points per game below his career average, shooting only 38.3% from three-point range, and less than 40% for the second time in his career, and with age and injury factors, Thompson can no longer return to his peak form, which is the excuse for Dunleavy to suppress the amount of Thompson's contract.
In the face of Dunleavy's rejection, Thompson also gave his own response, Thompson said: "Whether I wear a Warriors jersey or another team's jersey, no matter what team I'm on in the future, I'm going to be my true self." "Thompson's career has been a success, go after the big contract you want!
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