Warriors: Should Dubs Commerce Klay Thompson After One other Subpar Displaying?

Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson produced one other subpar efficiency in the course of the staff’s third consecutive loss, a 116-110 defeat towards the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday, November 12, at their house courtroom on the Chase Center.

The 33-year-old scored 16 factors, including 5 rebounds and three assists. While Thompson emerged because the staff’s second-highest scorer, his capturing efficiency was terrible, as he managed to transform solely 5-of-16 from the sector and a mere 3-of-10 from three-point distance.

This exhibiting follows one other tough capturing night time for the four-time NBA champion towards the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday, the place he additionally shot 5-of-16 from the sector for 14 factors.

“Like I said before I’ll be much better tomorrow, playing with more energy. And, individually, my worst performance of this young season so far. So, I’m eager to have a nice bounce-back game tomorrow,” Thompson stated after the sport towards the Cavs.

Despite vowing to bounce again on Sunday, he wasn’t capable of fulfill that promise.

Warriors star Stephen Curry has been carrying the load for the Bay Area staff all season, scoring 30 factors or extra in all the Dubs’ video games this season, whereas among the many entire staff, solely Dario Saric has breached previous the 20-point mark.

The Warriors discover themselves in dire want of a backup scoring choice, with each Thompson and ahead Andrew Wiggins, who have been anticipated to fill that function, struggling to fulfill the staff’s scoring calls for.

“No question, we need some scoring and some playmaking elsewhere,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr stated after the Wolves recreation. 

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Klay Thompson contract negotiations 

A sizzling subject in the course of the previous offseason is the contract negotiations between Thompson and the Warriors, which stay within the air.

The sharpshooter is coming into the ultimate 12 months of his present contract with the Dubs, the place he’s slated to earn $43,219,440 for the 2023-24 NBA season, per HoopsHype.

With his veteran teammates, Curry and Draymond Green, locked into long-term offers, Thompson stays the odd man among the many staff’s distinguished core.

Various sources point out that extension talks between Thompson and the Warriors have hit a lifeless level.

There appears to be a “significant gap” between the specified years and monetary phrases of the extension, with Thompson in search of significantly greater than what the Warriors have proposed. 

Should the Warriors commerce Klay Thompson?

With negotiations between the 2 sides reaching a standstill, Golden State is contemplating letting Thompson develop into a free agent subsequent summer time.

However, they might be withholding themselves of some property in return as a substitute of dealing the five-time NBA All-Star throughout the season by way of a commerce.

The Warriors additionally strategically centered on staying under the second tax apron subsequent summer time below the brand new CBA, imposing limitations on the quantity of future monetary commitments they’re at present keen to make. 

The staff efficiently retained Andrew Wiggins in a deal value $27.2 million yearly in 2022 and Draymond Green in an extension value $25 million per 12 months this previous summer time. Both pacts are objectively deemed as affordable on par with their manufacturing.

The staff is ideally searching for Thompson to conform to an identical vary, which might entail a pay lower from his present annual common of $37,980,720. 

However, if an settlement proves unimaginable for either side, essentially the most viable plan of action might be exploring a commerce.

In this state of affairs, the Warriors may actively pursue a staff keen to fulfill the monetary and size phrases of Thompson’s contract calls for.

In return, the Dubs may purchase a potent scoring menace that may help in addressing the staff’s current challenges. 

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