(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
For years, Klay Thompson talked about how much he wanted to be a Golden State Warrior for life.
He had been with the organization since entering the league in 2011, and it’s pretty safe to say that he paid them back.
The Warriors didn’t even make the playoffs in the two years he was out with an injury, and he helped them win four NBA championships in six trips to the NBA Finals.
The franchise’s value is almost 20 times what it was when he entered the league, and he clearly had a lot to do with that.
However, the team was ready to move in a different direction now.
Thompson reportedly tried to make a last-second pitch to the organization to make things work, but they simply weren’t interested.
According to a report by ESPN’s Ramona Shelbourne and Kendra Andrews (via NBA Central), Thompson’s camp reached out to the Warriors with a two-year deal worth roughly $20 million per season, yet the Dubs claimed that they just couldn’t do that yet.
Klay Thompson’s last proposal to the Warriors was a two-year contract for $20 million annually, per @ramonashelburne & @kendra__andrews
The Warriors declined, stating, “We just can’t do it yet.”
“After almost a year of despair, he needed an entirely new experience, sources… pic.twitter.com/RMjxmMm5PE
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) July 3, 2024
In the end, the Warriors simply weren’t interested in retaining one of the greatest players in franchise history, even though he was willing to embrace a lesser role and get a short-term, ‘prove it’ kind of contract.
These kinds of things happen in sports all the time.
It’s never about what you did; it’s about what you can do now.
As cruel and harsh as it might seem, this is a business first and foremost, and it takes two to tango.
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