The relationship between Klay Thompson and Joe Lacob, the owner of the Golden State Warriors, has reportedly “suffered some strain,” as stated by Sam Amick of The Athletic.
According to the report, Amick had the following to say:
“Thompson was always aware that he would most likely have to wait until his free agency arrived this summer. This is because Lacob’s well-documented intentions of avoiding the second (and maybe first) luxury tax bracket compelled them to wait until the roster landscape had fully developed before adding compensation.
The league sources indicate that Thompson has not received any guarantees from on high that his ambitions of retiring joyfully in a Warriors uniform someday will be a shared goal this summer. However, it is evident that their relationship has suffered some strain along the way for the reason that it is clear that their relationship has undergone some strain. According to what appears to be the case, neither party has any idea what might take place when that time comes around.
Previous statements made by Lacob indicate that he is confident that the Warriors will eventually be able to reach an agreement with Thompson. On the other hand, even if the two parties do finally reach a consensus, it appears that the path to that conclusion might not be an easy one to travel.
During this season, Thompson has been a shell of his former self, and the difficulties he has encountered have caused him to experience times of intense displeasure both on the court and on the sidelines. It is possible that things will become unpleasant if this frustration is allowed to leak into the talks for the contract.
Thompson is currently in the final year of a five-year contract worth $190 million, which offers him a total of $43.2 million in compensation for this season alone.
Over the course of this season, he has shot 37.6 percent from outside the arc and averaged 17.2 points per game played. All of these numbers are lower than they were during the previous season, when he averaged 21.9 points per game and shot 41.2 percent from the field.