The Golden State Warriors have taken a decisive step toward retaining an original and key piece of the team’s dynastic success: Klay Thompson. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that Thompson has reached a five-year, $190 million deal with the Warriors.
The deal shows the Warriors’ faith in Thompson to return to his sharpshooting and defensive behemoth form following the ACL tear he suffered in the team’s Game 6 loss in the NBA Finals. But it’s also an overdue payday for a player who, like his fellow Splash Brother Stephen Curry before signing his supermax deal, had been underpaid for years.
Thompson’s contract comes with a 15 percent trade kicker, or bonus, which appears to be an additional show of appreciation and faith in a player who didn’t qualify for the $221 million supermax contract. A failure to make the All-NBA Team limited him to a $190 million max contract.
The 15 percent kicker comes out to $28.5 million, or roughly what he would have been contracted had he made the All-NBA Team.
