Klay Thompson‘s agent has been seeking a max deal in extension talks with the Warriors, reports Sam Amick of USA Today. While Thompson’s name bounces around trade rumors involving Kevin Love, the Warriors starting shooting guard’s extension talks are just as relevant to his future with the team. The Warriors have been bracing for a max demand from agent Bill Duffy and the two-way shooting guard after seeing Gordon Hayward and Chandler Parsons each receive max offers as free agents this summer. Golden State has reportedly been budgeting to accommodate such a deal for Thompson, and Andrew Bogut‘s extension structure was one part of those efforts.
If the two sides aren’t able to reach an extension agreement by the early-season deadline, Thompson will become a restricted free agent for the 2015/16 season, when he would likely fetch max offers from rival teams. Warriors co-owner Joe Lacob vowed to reach an agreement with Thompson, although at least some placed his value at $12MM per season at the time, a millions below the max for a player of his experience.
Thompson has been said to be open to being traded to Minnesota, at least partially because the Wolves would have more cap room to commit to a max deal upon acquiring the 24-year-old. If Golden State’s very public refusal to give up Thompson in a deal for a perennial All-Star in Love holds up, it would only seem to help his case in negotiations. Thompson’s improvement in three years as a Warrior has accompanied the team’s increased performance as a unit. His win shares have steadily risen from 1.7 as a rookie to 6.7 in 2014/15, and his career 41% three-point shooting percentage is all the more impressive considering he has launched 6.5 long distance attempts per game.
Klay should accept a lower max deal because if the Dubs wanted to give him up so badly for Love, it would’ve been done before draft day. I think he should agree to a max but a lower max so the Dubs next year can add talent through free agency next year.
he won’t after the other contracts handed out this year in FA
if it hamstrings us from keeping Curry later and signing better players, i don’t want him at all..that’s why i want Love over him all day long
Giving Klay an extension now only makes sense if he is traded. If he is not traded, then the Warriors will not be able to go after any free agents next summer. It would be a disaster.
I agree, they should play out the situation and see what happens.
they can unload contracts like Iggy and Bogut to go after say, Marc Gasol(if MEM can’t keep him) … things can be moved around…esp with our 2 1st rounders that we’ll be able to offer at that point… that’s a lot of incentive for any team to take on one of those two players
So unload the two best defensive players on the team…great. Might as well rewind back to 2011 and start over.
How about instead re-sign Klay next summer at no additional cost and not destroy any capability this team has of winning going forward?
In theory, if Gasol actually wanted to come to GSW (which is unlikely), the Warriors could sign him first and then extend Klay using his Bird rights, without losing Iggy or Bogut.
Wouldn’t that make more sense?
if it meant getting Marc Gasol? cmon…this is like arguing against trading Klay for Love.. ridiciulous.. wouldn’t Klay and Gasol be better?
plus, Bogut hasn’t proven he can stay healthy when it seems to matter most… whether it be a “freak injury”(which he seems to get a lot) or a chronic one.. he has A LOT to prove this year if he wants to stay with the team.
You don’t seem to understand simple math. I am saying you can add Gasol AND Klay AND keep Iguodala AND even Bogut.
You can’t do any of that if you re-sign Klay early.
Please tell me why the need to re-sign Klay early?
Gasol is a 5 dude… why would you keep Bogut if you’re going to pay a top 3 C in the league?
In that case, you wouldn’t. But I wouldn’t dump Bogut before, and I certainly wouldn’t re-sign Klay early.
after this whole thing with him coming out saying he is seeking a max… i’d have to agree…
i just don’t want to be hamstrung with the starting 5
Keep in mind too that Curry is going to be getting probably $24m a year after this new TV deal in 2016-17
Iggy, Bogut, and Curry all become free agents at the same tim.
yea fer sure they will… that’s why i’d want to dump their contracts for someone bigger like Marc Gasol…AND still be able to go out and fill out our roster more effectively than just a Livingston and Rush
I thought Livingston was a great pickup, considering I felt that last year, they just needed a ball handler off the bench (as well as the obvious need to stay healthy)
no i definitely like it… but even better players than him.. losing one of AI’s or Bogut’s contracts will give us the wiggle room to do so and sign Curry to his superstar max deal
I personally think Thompson is better than Curry…Curry is the obvious better offensive player though
i am not arguing against waiting until another team offers klay the max to see if we want to match… i agree with you on that front… i think i misunderstood the original argument…forgive me there
i understand what you’re saying… you would even have room for Bogut
i will add that i really like Bogut’s game… i believe in his ability… and esp if Kerr can get him to 12ppg with all of his other traits. if Bogut plays 3/4 of the season + he’s healthy in the playoffs, i’ll be convinced to keep him long term
Iggy and Klay are key perimeter defenders, who also carry their weight on offense. No big man is going to replace either one in that combination, scoring–and perimeter defense…none!
they can set up for KD in 2016 though. David Lee will come off the books, and if they move Andrew Bogut before then, I believe that should open up enough cap space for a max player. I may have calculated that wrong…it will probably ensure that you guys lose Draymond Greene after this year though…
Nobody is setting up for KD in 2016 other than OKC or WAS. That is absolutely not happening.
But if you want to destroy the franchise in the process of foolish hope, that is one way to do it.
And by the fact that you said “you guys”, I assume you are not a Warriors fan, so that is probably ok with you.
I’m talking about 2 years down the road…what are you talking about?
Klay Thompson is absolutely worth the max and the GSW would be dumb to let him go
…unless it was to acquire Kevin Love, who is easily better than Klay. If Love opts in for his 2nd year (which has been reported that he would do with the Warriors) and Klay gets the max, that means there would be a year where both players are paid around the same amount. Which would be silly, considering…again…Love is easily a better player than Klay.
I like Klay. I wish they could get Love and keep Klay. They can’t, so in light of that, I’d rather the Warriors pay Love than pay Klay.
I wouldnt trade Klay Thompson for Kevin Love. Klay Thompson plays on the same team as Andre Igoudala, and still guards the opponents best player regularly. He is a 6″6 guard with length and athleticism, can shoot the 3 at an elite level, and can put the ball on the floor and make plays. This is a guard driven league. No way I trade Thompson for Love.
There is absolutely no advantage to extending Klay before next summer, and only disadvantage.
The question should not be whether to re-sign Klay, the question is when? And the answer is definitely not before next summer.
well ya…just in terms of keeping flexibility, it would mke sense to just let him become a restricted free agent and match any offers. Signing him early could risk injury. I’m just saying that I wouldnt give him up
Who is saying that? Not me.
the comment you replied to was me explaining why I wouldnt trade him…
ok, signals crossed.
I stopped reading at “can put the ball on the floor and make plays” lol. You seem to watch Klay with some pair of disillusioned glasses that makes you think he’s better than he is. Only towards the end of the season did he put the ball on the floor and “make plays”. Like once every 2 games. His PER is still below league average meaning he is one dimensional offensively. Saying you wouldn’t trade Klay for Love is a mediocre opinion. That trade would’ve happened in a heartbeat and Lee would’ve gotten shipped out for a guy like Afflalo plus some other pieces. Delusional
ROFLMAO learn2basketball
Very articulate reply. Obviously you have nothing to back up your argument
I already made my argument, Klay Thompson is a very good 2 way player, and he plays a position in the NBA that is lacking star talent by the way…No way I would trade him for Kevin Love
So 1 for 1 trade Love straight up for Klay you would turn down? Lol ok you’re entitled to your opinion but saying Klay deserves a max is still ridiculous. I hope you realise he would be getting paid the same amount as Lee for his starting salary and it only goes up. I believe his max is around $15mill so higher than curry bogut and iggy
I’m going to need you to clarify what you’re trying to say. I cant understand incoherent babble…
Haha ok please do tell me where this “incoherent babble” is and I will gladly rephrase it for you. Or is this just another response avoiding the argument?
I legitimately cant read that last post
Love is also going into his 7th season while Klay is only going into his 4th season. Although there a year or two apart in age there in two different parts of there careers. Kevin love is a great player you cant say he hit his peak yet but hes had more than enough time to prove himself in the NBA. While Klay is still trying to prove that he can be an all star in this league. I’m pretty sure if Klay was going into his 6th 7th season he would be an all star player two.
Folks, the question at hand here is whether to re-sign Klay EARLY as opposed to NEXT SUMMER.
If you think he should be re-signed EARLY, please elucidate the reasons why it makes more sense to do that than to wait a year and let him become a RFA.
Klay is worth max?…
I believe Klay is gonna make that leap to an all star caliber player, if you watch his game every year hes gotten a better feel for the NBA style of play. Every year hes worked at correcting the flaws in his game, from being known just as a 3pt shooter. To a deadly mid range shooter, he worked on posting up mismatches, last year you started to see him drive more. I think this is gonna be Klays breakout year. I believe the change in coaching is only gonna elevate his game further. He had the green light to take whatever shot, there was times he had a good look but should of made the extra pass for a great shot Mark Jackson would be okay with it cause he had a good look. Last year most of all our possessions were based off one or two passes.Now hes in a system designed to make the extra pass. Mark Jackson did a good job molding Klay into a defensive pest, I believe Kerr is gonna elevate Klays offensive game to an all star level. I see Klay proving his worth for a max contract going into his 4th NBA season
His ability to D it up is awesome. He is a nose tackle – forces all the action to the sides where others can help out. Trade for Demarcus Cousins instead. Give up Boguht and Lee for Demarcus.
Love is the best 4 in the league. GSW is insane for not jumping on that