Klay Thompson doesn't look too worried about his contract extension talks with the Golden State Warriors.
The other half of the Splash Bros. is entering the final season of the five-year, $189.9 million deal he signed with the Dubs back in 2019 and is due for an extension. While many expected that it would be an easy process considering the relationship between Thompson and the Warriors, that hasn't really been the case as the two sides have yet to reach an agreement despite training camp coming up soon.
There's little doubt that Thompson wouldn't reach a new deal with Golden State, but the delay has certainly raised some concerns.
During media day, Thompson was naturally asked about his contract situation. Interestingly, he isn't bothered by their failure to reach a deal by now. There have been reports about Thompson's camp opening contract extension talks recently, and while the sharpshooter didn't provide any details about his status, he did mention that it's possible they agree to an extension by next month (via Anthony Slater of The Athletic).
Regardless of what happens, though, Thompson assured his fans of one thing: he's in a good place mentally.
Klay Thompson contract talks a ‘slow process'
Klay Thompson is a huge part of the Warriors' core, and despite his decrease in production in recent years after dealing with ACL and Achilles injuries, he remains a massive threat. With that said, there's no doubt that he deserves a new deal with the Dubs.
However, contrary to what many expected, it wasn't as simple as giving Thompson the contract he wants and be done with it. Both sides are not rushing getting a deal done. Thompson understands that he's coming off a relatively subpar season based on his standards, so he doesn't have much leverage. But should he wait and prove that he's still as productive as ever, then it wouldn't be too hard to get the contract he wants.
“My understanding is that they have opened contract extension talks with Klay Thompson. This is a slow process. This idea that he's been eligible for awhile and they haven't done anything… no, they've started talking. They've exchanged proposals. There's no hurry to these discussions. The optionality goes both ways. Not necessarily he's trying to leave, but just the optionality that he didn't have a great year last year. It behooves him to have a great year this year and he's becomes more valuable if he does,” Ramona Shelburne of ESPN recently explained.
For what it's worth, however, both sides have a mutual desire to continue their partnership. Warriors owner Joe Lacob previously said that he expects Thompson to re-sign with Golden State, and new GM Mike Dunleavy doubled down on that take in late September when he shared his belief that Thompson's desire to go back is clear.
“I think there is a desire to extend or be back, make sure those guys are in the fold. So, I think both sides feel that way. When you are working off that idea, I think you can come to a deal. Hopefully, we can do that,” Dunleavy said.
For now, it's really just a waiting game. Timing is everything in negotiations such as the one Thompson and the Warriors are having. The good news is there doesn't seem to be any problem between the two sides that will cause the negotiations to collapse.
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