The Warriors Might Depart With This Franchise Cornerstone
The Warriors are going to make their last push for contention with Steph Curry, and they haven't done a great job building around him. Steph has been as good as any player in the NBA but he hasn't had consistent help to support him. Could the Warriors depart with Klay Thompson next season if things go unfavorably?
Klay Thompson's Regression
Ever since Klay Thompson suffered two brutal knee injuries, his career has been on a decline. His first year back they won the championship, but it was clear that Klay Thompson was never going to be the same. Part of what made Klay so special was his ability to guard the opponent at such a high level, but being close to his mid-30s and suffering career-altering injuries his defensive impact is limited.
Contract Issues
With Steph Curry in his final elite years of playing, this is the time for the Warriors to start making aggressive moves, but they have limited flexibility with cap space. Steph is on a supermax contract, Draymond is commanding a max contract, and Andrew Wiggins is also taking 28 million dollars per year. For the amount of money the Warriors have allocated, it's likely that they cannot pay Klay Thompson the contract he want
The Warriors have a small window to win a championship, but it would be very difficult to win having Klay Thompson on a max contract.
Closes The Warriors' Window
If last season showed anything, it is that Golden State needs to shake things up. Steph Curry was averaging 30 points on close to 50/40/90 shooting splits but had no consistent secondary scoring threat. Draymond Green is a playmaker and a defender, Wiggins is a consistent double-digit scorer but he's not enough to be the second option, and Klay is too inconsistent to be the second-best player on a championship team.
Golden State needs to make a splash, and if they decide to pay Klay Thompson a max contract, their window might close immediately.
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