All it required for Klay Thompson to lock in was the Sixth man role and he was back. When Steve Kerr decided to relegate the 4x champion to a bench role, there had been enough instances before for Thompson to make peace with the fact. The first time in 12 years that Coach Kerr decided to close without his second-best scorer was the awakening call. And finally, when the whole world was looking at the dreaded breaking of the Big 3 of the Warriors, the trade season passed without as little noise as possible. The Dubs looked like they were getting their mojo back. Or at least Thompson did.
He was suddenly dominating the court and stepping up to the occasion, as needed. Of course, it wasn’t the same as before his injuries. But it was enough to keep the momentum of the team going. But the core of the matter is that he loved the Golden State Warriors and really wished to retire one. And if that meant offering his services from the bench, then that was what he was going to do. Still, there was one key matter left undecided – Klay’s contract extension.
Although both parties got into discussions regarding the same, they could never reach an agreement. It is under such circumstances that Gilbert Arenas has a suggestion. “If they can get Klay back for pennies on a dollar, they’re going to do that right? And then from there, they have so much money that they can sign Paul George.”
The 5x All-Star is set to be a free agent this summer and eligible for a 4-year, $223 million extension, which seems unrealistic to some people at this point because of his current season’s performance. He is going through a tough season, due to his age and injury history. His average points are at 17.3 this season, considerably low since his second year in the league. His field goal percentage stands at 42.4%, at the 132nd spot in the league. Earlier this year, Coach Kerr even moved him to the bench to help him find his rhythm back. Of course, it was a hard pill to digest for him, but he is responding in a better. So, although his current season stats aren’t the best, his Hall-of-Fame-caliber career is something a lot of teams would welcome.
A green light from Klay Thompson could be a huge win for the Dubs
According to Arenas, if Klay would be willing to sign a lesser contract, the Big 3 would stay together as well and get another superstar on the team; someone like Paul George. He even goes to the extent of pointing out how Kevin Durant joined the Suns and they are better for it. Getting PG is like more arsenal for the team. The fact that they could have gotten George during the 2010 NBA draft is going to be a fact that’s going to get thrown in the franchise’s face sooner rather than later.
But a silver lining is that the Clippers and the 9x All-Star are yet to reach an agreement on his continued stay in LA. If he doesn’t exercise his player option, Paul will go into free agency, leaving the Dubs free to pursue him. After all, his addition to the team can only improve their situation. And they are in need of a versatile wing.
Another aspect of the matter is that the Warriors aren’t going to trade Draymond Green or Steve Kerr, and most definitely not Stephen Curry. All of their contracts line up just so. The only one out of this circle is, unfortunately, Klay Thompson. And he knows that very well.
He had said as much a day before the trade deadline. “Whether I’m wearing a Dubs uniform or another uniform, I’m going to be myself. I’m going to be KT.”