Klay Thompson's dad says Warriors star likely won't sign extension with team this summer
Thompson, who will be a free agent in 2019, would cost himself north of $80M if he signs an extension this offseason
Klay Thompson has been a vital part of the recent dominance of the Golden State Warriors, who are just two victories away from winning their third title in four seasons. Not only is Thompson one of the best shooters the league has ever seen, but he's also a stout defender -- capable of guarding multiple positions -- and incredibly durable.
So, understandably, the Warriors are eager to keep him in town for the foreseeable future. And with his contract set to expire next summer, that means it's time to head to the negotiation table. The Warriors would prefer to sign Thompson to an extension this summer, as it would not only give them long-term stability, but save them tens of millions of dollars.
According to Thompson's dad, however, the Warriors likely won't get what they want. Mychal Thompson, himself a former NBA player, was on the radio in the Bay Area on Tuesday, and said that while Klay wants to stay with the Warriors, negotiations will likely continue until next summer. Via NBC Sports Bay Area:
On Tuesday afternoon, Damon Bruce of 95.7 The Game asked Klay's father, Mychal, where things stand.
"Klay definitely wants to play his whole career in Golden State and the Bay Area -- there's no question about that," Mychal explained. "He loves it up there ... loves the fans.
"But let's just say that negotiations will probably continue in the summer of '19."
As salary cap expert Albert Nahmad points out on Twitter, Thompson signing an extension this summer as opposed to simply signing a new contract when he becomes a free agent in 2019 could cost him as much as $86 million. While signing an extension this summer could earn him about $102 million (including the $18.9 million he is owned for the 2018-19 season under his current deal), waiting until next summer to sign a new deal with the Warriors could earn Thompson just under $188 million.
If he opted instead to sign elsewhere, he would also get a raise by waiting until next summer, as a deal with a new team could get him nearly $140 million. Though it seems likely Thompson will stay in the Bay Area.
Klay Thompson, if he were to sign an extension this summer, would be forgoing potentially huge future salary in exchange for locking in a long-term contract with the team he loves.https://t.co/iKmMA6Hj9r pic.twitter.com/KtU8UWwktN
— Albert Nahmad (@AlbertNahmad) May 11, 2018
It's one thing to take a discount to stay in a good situation with a team you enjoy playing for, but this isn't a case of sacrificing $5M-10M -- which is still a huge sacrifice. When you're talking nearly $100 million, that's just too much to give up.
















