Klay Thompson, Warriors 'Millions Apart' in Contract Extension Talks
Golden State shooting guard Klay Thompson is in the last year of his rookie contract, and is due for a big pay raise. Warriors CEO Joe Lacob thinks that raise should go up to $13 million a season. Thompson and his agent, Bill Duffy, would like the max contract - or something close - settling for around $15-16 million a year.
Lacob has said he wants to keep Thompson, as shown by their unwillingness to include him in any potential deal with Minnesota for Kevin Love, and Thompson has expressed his desire to stay in Golden State - yet the two sides remain millions apart and are unable to reach a deal.
Thompson is widely though of as the Warriors' second-best player behind backcourt-mate Stephen Curry, but forward David Lee is the team's highest-paid player at $15.01 million this season. Thompson would be fine with that number, but Lacob has yet to determine that he's worth that much money yet.
Thompson's value was increased this offseason after Chandler Parsons (3-year, $46 million) and Gordon Hayward (4-year, $63 million) signed with Dallas and Utah, respectively. All three are viewed as similar players, but Thompson is now seen as the best of the bunch as he beat out Parson and Hayward for a spot on Team USA this summer.
His value also inflated when Timberwolves GM Flip Saunders said he would offer Thompson a max deal if he was included in any Kevin-Love-to-Golden-State trade. That max deal would pay him a little over $16 million, pushing the Warriors well over the salary cap. But with the NBA's new TV deal bringing more money to teams, the cap is expected to increase by almost $20 million, which would make Thompson's deal much more owner-friendly.
The Warriors have 22 days to decide if Thompson is worth those extra millions, or risk half of the "Splash Brothers" duo to free agency.
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