Warriors News: Joe Lacob Could Undo $48 Million Mistake to Amend Klay Thompson Despite Draymond Green Tension

After a tough and unfortunate loss in the 2019 Finals, the Warriors went all in on re-signing Klay Thompson while also trying to bring KD back on the roster. While they signed Thompson under a 5-year $191 million contract, Durant’s $221 million paycheque was next. The front office came through, however, the rest is history. With that being said, Klay reportedly eyes an exit after “taking offense” to Dray’s recent comments. “Klay tore his ACL. They paid him $160 million,” seems to have struck a nerve for the underperforming star. Notably, the Dubs haven’t shown the same love for KT this time, or even if they have, there are many other surrounding tensions.

The Splash Brother and one of the best catch-and-shoot players is possibly spending his last days as a Warrior. Now a free agent, KT has reportedly not explored much despite teams showing interest in him. Notably, The Dubs offered Klay a $48 million extension last year, which he declined. But there is one man who can brighten things up for Thompson. Majority owner, Joe Lacob, may be the last hope at Thompson’s desire to retire in a Warriors jersey.

The Athletic‘s Anthony Slater believes, “The one thing people do say about Joe Lacob is, at the end of the day, he usually does up the money to the point that it will keep the franchise legends around,” via 95.7 The Game podcast. The Warriors have already finalized a two-year contract extension for head coach Steve Kerr. Steph is on a veteran extension too. They re-signed Draymond with a $100 million contract extension last year. This leaves Thompson, who at the moment hasn’t been offered anything apart from the low-figure deal last year. Many now feel that Joe Lacob is the man who could fix that.

Klay has been struggling to perform following his last Championship run. The last two seasons haven’t been great. If we look at a wider perspective, Thompson was never a role player for the Warriors. In their four Championship runs, the Sea Captain has played a crucial role. From dropping a 60-point statement performance in 11 dribbles to ‘Game 6 Klay’, Thompson has left a historic mark in NBA history. He is still a threat from three and will be willing to improve going forward.

It does seem that this Klay situation is currently not making any progress and it may be a long summer for the Warrior. However, his desire to continue to play for the Dubs speaks volumes.

Klay Thompson has no problem playing a slightly diminished role

Knowing that he has been struggling to cope, Thompson believes that he can still be a great player. “I’ll be 35 next year. At 35, coming off the ACL and an Achilles and still have the ability to be a really good player. Maybe not the guy who scored 60 in three quarters and scored an NBA-record 37 points in a quarter, but still a great threat out there. I’ve modeled my game after Reggie (Miller) and Ray (Allen), and those guys were incredibly effective until their late 30s. So I plan on kind of following that mold.”, Klay told The Ringer.

With all these conditions in place, the Dubs could value Klay’s loyalty, who wants to end his career as a Warrior. Thompson averaged 17.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists this season. However, many consider his play-in horror performance to be the decider. The vet did not manage to get onto the scoreboard despite having spent 32 minutes on the field! Going 0-10 from the field and 0-6 from 3-pointers, it was surely a night to forget for Klay.

However, with the young core taking up more responsibility, his role on the team might be a lesser priority in terms of someone who was a starter for years. It will be interesting to see whether the Dubs decide to bring the Splash Brother back and in what way Steve Kerr could utilize him. There seems to be rumored interest in Thompson from Orlando Magic and OKC Thunder as of now. The Sixers who have substantial cap space left could also be a prime destination for Klay alongside the likes of Joel Embiid and Co.

Do you think the Warriors will offer a better extension? Let us know in the comments.

Before you go, do not forget to check out what Shaquille O’Neal’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato has to say about Caitlin Clark’s meteoric rise to stardom. Keep checking this space for more such updates.