Author: Monojit Mandal
In the world of professional basketball, there are many rumors as the Golden State Warriors and Klay Thompson negotiate a new contract. Although no official deal has been struck, league insiders believe Thompson could be in line for a lucrative four-year contract worth between US$30 and 35 million per season.
Chris Mannix, a respected sports journalist for Sports Illustrated, gave his opinion on the matter, saying that the proposed figure seemed “reasonable”. This apparent rationality stems from Thompson’s current performance on the court and the Warriors’ unwavering commitment to keeping the main trio of Thompson, Stephen Curry and Draymond Green as the pillars of the franchise. It’s worth remembering that Green signed a four-year, $100 million contract extension in July, while Curry has a contract until the end of the 2025-26 season.
The future of Thompson’s contract, however, is complicated by his recent injury history. An ACL rupture in the 2019 NBA Finals kept him out for 30 months, followed by another setback in the form of a ruptured Achilles tendon. The 2022-23 season represented his first full return since the 2018-19 season, when he showed an incredible improvement in his attacking abilities.
Thompson had an excellent stat line last season, averaging 21.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. He showed his shooting ability, hitting 41.2% of his three-point attempts. However, it’s important to note that the league has changed, with more players with the same scoring talent and three-point shooters becoming more common.
At the same time, Thompson’s defensive performance suffered a significant decline, raising concerns about his market value compared to his previous contract. Thompson, on the other hand, remains confident in his talent, emphasizing: “I’m not going to underestimate myself”. I understand how fantastic that is. It’s a lot of effort after an ACL and an Achilles”.
Thompson, on the other hand, needs to answer questions about his defensive agility. In a fast-changing NBA market in which players’ performance is scrutinized, preserving their value on a $30-35 million a year contract will require a defensive resurrection. If this is not done, questions could arise about an overpayment, especially when Thompson is approaching 30.