There was not supposed to be much drama surrounding Klay Thompson’s next contract, with reports breaking on the eve of free agency that he was in agreement with the Golden State Warriors for a deal to keep him at home.
But then free agency started with a flourish of signings and no word about a completed deal for Thompson, prompting some worry from Warriors fans that there may be a hitch in the negotiations.
As USA Today reported, Thompson and the Warriors appeared to agree to a five-year, $189.6 million contract that would be made official when free agency began on Sunday at 6 p.m. The report noted that both sides were committed to each other, so there appeared to be little drama surrounding Thompson, especially compared to other free agents like Kevin Durant whose decision remained closely guarded right until the start of free agency.
That changed as the hours dragged on, with some worry starting to arise about why the Warriors had not officially announced Thompson’s expected signing. There wasn’t any official indication that there was any hitch in the deal, and the USA Today report indicated that the Warriors were not going to let Thompson leave.
“The Warriors have the money. They’re expected to generate significant revenue by moving into the new Chase Center in San Francisco next season, and they want to keep a championship-caliber roster on the court,” the report noted.
The odds of the Warriors keeping Thompson likely rose after the Warriors lost Durant to the Brooklyn Nets.
Somethings not feeling right.
Klay Thompson was suppose to announce his re-signing hours ago.
— OnSMASH (@OnSMASH) July 1, 2019
While the Warriors were seen as something of a lock to keep Klay Thompson, there had been some indications that he was willing to look elsewhere if the deal hadn’t come together. In the days leading up to the start of free agency, ESPN reporter Adrian Wojnarowski (per Bleacher Report ) indicated that Thompson would be willing to meet with the Los Angeles Clippers “if the Warriors don’t have the max deal when free agency starts.”
Free agency has now started, and with no announcement of the deal that appeared to have been done, some worry is setting in for Golden State Warriors fans and other basketball fans keeping a close eye on free agency.
I think Klay Thompson could back out of that Golden State deal.
— Brian Langford (@BrianAintLyin) July 1, 2019
Whatever happens in free agency, Klay Thompson will likely be off the basketball court for a while. He suffered an ACL tear in the deciding Game 5 of the NBA Finals and now has a long recovery ahead of him.