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Klay Thompson’s contract situation creates ‘lot of tension’ with NBA star in ‘hot seat,’ ex-Warriors teammate claims
Problems have been piling on for the Warriors over the past few weeks
KLAY Thompson's contract standoff with the Golden State Warriors has started to weigh on the team's stars and executives, his ex-teammate claims.
With his current deal expiring in the summer, the five-time All-Star, 33, reportedly rejected a two-year, $48 million contract extension before the start of the 2023-24 NBA season.
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Reports claimed the lack of progress in contract negotiations between Thompson, 33, and the Warriors made the shooting guard's exit a real possibility in the coming months.
And his former teammate — who spent two seasons in Golden State — claims different members of the franchise are increasingly desperate to see the situation resolved soon.
"I am very close to most of my former teammates, and they tell me that Klay’s situation is literally creating a lot of tensions in both the locker room and the front office," said the player, who spoke with The U.S. Sun on the condition of anonymity.
"Some of them are really frustrated by it, and think that it’s one of the reasons why the Warriors aren’t having a great season so far.
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"Some of them are looking forward for this situation to be solved, or they think that the season could be a bad one."
He added: "They feel the tension: Klay is tense, the team is tense, and you can tell that also in their body language as they express a lot of frustration on the court and during timeouts too.
"I have never seen Klay and Steph yelling and being so desperate when they lose a game or when the plays don’t go well or not being executed the best way."
The ex-teammate criticized Thompson for rejecting the $48 million extension, particularly at a time when the Warriors are frantically trying to keep the fabled dynasty alive.
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He doesn't believe the former No. 11 overall pick deserves more than the $24 million per year Golden State offered him a few months ago because of his fluctuating form and declining defense.
In fact, he continues, it would be "too much of a gamble" to hand Thompson a new max deal — which he thinks the four-time NBA champ seeks — considering the shooting guard might never get back to the level he played at before.
The ex-Warriors player suggests that if Thompson doesn't lower his financial expectations, he might become expandable with Golden State likely to prioritize one last title chase in the Steph Curry era.
"For now, Klay is probably in the hot seat, and the one that could leave the franchise soon or this summer if both parties don’t find a smart agreement," he says.
"It would be very bad for Klay to leave because he asked for too much money — that would hurt his image and heritage in the Warriors, and his impact on the Warriors dynasty."
An employee of the Western Conference front office told The U.S. Sun they have also been made aware of the rising tensions within the Warriors franchise.
"I wouldn’t want to be in the Warriors’ situation now, to be honest with you," they said.
As Thompson's contract standoff continues, Draymond Green remains suspended for punching Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic in the face.
Meanwhile, The Athletic reported on Monday that Warriors starlet Jonathan Kuminga is said to have lost faith in head coach Steve Kerr after being benched in the final 18 minutes of the loss to the Denver Nuggets.