Golden State sent 'delicate' negotiation warning that could lead to key exit

16 October 2023 , 16:47

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Klay Thompson (right) faces an uncertain future with the Golden State Warriors (Image: Elsa/Getty Images)

The Golden State Warriors have been warned they face a tricky contract negotiation with Klay Thompson as he enters the final year of his deal.

Thompson has been one of the key players behind the Warriors dynasty which won four NBA championships from 2015 to 2022. Steph Curry and Draymond Green, two current stars of the Golden State team, were also been alongside Thompson in winning the four titles.

However, Thompson has now entered the final year of his contract, and should he not put pen to paper on an extension before the end of the 2023/24 season, the forward would leave the franchise as an unrestricted free agent next summer.

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Steph and Klay Thompson have won four NBA Championships as teammates with the Golden State Warriors (Harry How/Getty Images)

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The latest report comes from who claims there has been “no progress” on a contract extension for Thompson. The journalist also claimed Thomspon and the Warriors are “still apart on years and money”, with the possibility the 33-year-old could leave at the end of his current deal in less than a year’s time.

And former Warriors general manager Bob Myers has also weighed in on Thompson’s future in San Francisco. Myers was at the helm for all four NBA titles won by Golden State and was twice named as the league’s executive of the year. Myers has provided some insight into whether or not Thompson would be inclined to stay at Golden State. The former Warriors GM went on to explain why it’s an uncertain time for his former employers.

“A lot of times people will say that it’s just business, but this is not a ‘just business’ situation,” Myers told ESPN. “There’s going to be a statue of this player outside of Chase Center, he was instrumental in bringing in four championships. He’s beloved inside the organisation and the fan base, so it’s not so simple as it’s money and years.

“This is why it was hard for me, you get relationships with these people, especially if you succeed with them. And that core has been together for 12 years, and that’s just so rare now it just doesn’t happen. So this is a delicate negotiation. From what I know and see, he wants to stay, they [Golden State] want him to stay. It doesn’t mean it will happen, but it is a test and this is probably the first real test.”

Mark Wakefield