During this past decade, Golden State has been able to keep their championship-winning big three of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson. However, as their salaries have been taking most of the team’s budget, it has been quite the challenge to negotiate their continuity in San Francisco.
Thompson is the only one of the three who is yet to sign his contract extension, and ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski insists that there is a “very real possibility” that the veteran guard will end up a free agent entering the next offseason.
While speaking on NBA Countdown, the reporter shared some insights around Klay’s contract negotiations with the Warriors front office, and what is standing in between both sides.
Klay Thompson and the Warriors have made “absolutely no progress” in contract talks making it a possibility that he hits free agency next summer, per @wojespn pic.twitter.com/KhHrCSiDOT
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 16, 2023
“I’m told that there has been absolutely no progress on a Klay Thompson extension in Golden State. They are both still apart on years and money, and there’s a very real possibility that Klay Thompson goes into free agency next summer without a deal,” Woj explained this weekend.
The ESPN analyst shared why this was the first “real test” which the Warriors administration must confront to keep their trio together after this upcoming campaign.
“And I think that’s where things get complicated for Golden State and becomes a little something of a high-wire act. Especially if Klay Thompson duplicates this year the kind of season he had last year—41% three-point shooting, led the league with 301 threes, and his best points per game at almost 22 points per game, in several years,” he added.
Thompson, on the other hand, recently addressed this situation with the press. “I wouldn’t want to go anywhere else,” the 33-year-old said. “To play for one franchise, man? That’s so rare. In any sport. Football. Baseball. Basketball. Australian Rules Football. To play for one club is insane. It’s some real legendary stuff. Even what Udonis Haslem did. He’s revered in Miami. Locally. That’s what I cherish.”
The Warriors have been grooming guard Brandin Podziemski, who recently earned praise from both Curry and coach Steve Kerr
The Bay Area squad has already been grooming a future starter as a shooting guard in Brandin Podziemski, a six-foot-five athlete who spent only two years in college and averaged 19.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists with the Santa Clara Broncos last season.
“BP has been showing how much he understands the game of basketball at a young age and how confident he is in himself, and that shows every time he steps on the floor,” Stephen Curry shared. “That’s a nice surprise.”
The young guard recently displayed an impressive preseason performance against the Lakers. The 19th overall pick produced a double-double with 10 points and 10 assists on 50% shooting in 26 minutes.
“Brandin has a great feel for the game,” head coach Steve Kerr expressed. “He definitely leads the team in deflections in the first week or 10 days, whatever it’s been. He’s constantly one step ahead of the play at both ends. Rotating defensively, cross-grating the ball, and catching the defense off guard with a cross-court pass. He has a great feel.”
