Bob Myers shares thoughts on Klay Thompson's contract situation with Warriors

Of all the moves the Golden State Warriors made in the offseason, perhaps the most significant one was Draymond Green‘s contract extension. With the big man on board, they made sure to keep their core with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson at least for another year.

But the Dubs still lost a pivotal member of the organization in the summer. Bob Myers, the architect behind their success in the last decade, stepped down as general manager after 12 years to take a break from the role and spend more quality time with his family.

Mike Dunleavy has made an interesting job in his first months in the front office, but now he is dealing with a challenging situation as Thompson’s contract runs out in 2024. Extension talks don’t seem to be going in a good direction, and Myers explained this is one of the things he didn’t want to deal with anymore.

Warriors reportedly make no progress on Klay Thompson’s extension

NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski reports that there has been no progress in Thompson’s contract talks with the Warriors, which is why testing free agency in 2024 could be a real possibility for the 33-year-old.

Though the Warriors also seemed to face the risk of losing Green this offseason, Woj believes this is the first “real test” of keeping together their core. Myers listened carefully to Woj on ESPN’s NBA Countdown, and later shared his thoughts on this situation.

Bob Myers addresses Klay Thompson’s contract situation

“Well, this is why I left first of all,” Myers said with a laugh when asked by Malika Andrews what was the path forward for Thompson and the Warriors. “A lot of times people will say it’s just business, but this is not a just business situation.”

Myers went on to mention how important Thompson is for the team, mentioning that he will have a statue outside Chase Center one day and pointing out the fact that he contributed to multiple championships, which is why fans love him.

Thompson was drafted 11th overall by the Warriors in the 2011 NBA Draft, only a year before Myers was promoted to general manager. From then on, both were part of the greatest chapter in franchise history, which saw the Dubs win four NBA championships in eight years.

But it wasn’t all sunshine and roses for Klay, who spent more than two years on the sidelines due to injury. The team, however, has been there for him at his lowest, giving Thompson a five-year, $190m extension even after he suffered a torn ACL in 2019.

“It’s not so simple as money and years,” Myers said. “This is why it was hard for me, because you have relationships with these people – especially if you succeeded with them. That core has been together for 12 years and that’s just so rare now, it just doesn’t happen. So, this is a delicate negotiation. From what I know and see, he wants to stay. They want him to stay. Does it mean it will happen? But it is a test. It is certainly a test as Woj said and this is probably the first real test.”

The Warriors have always understood how important is Thompson for their organization, which is why they stuck to him through and thin. But next year he’ll be 34, so it remains to be seen how much they’re willing to offer to make him stay.