Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson. John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports

Why Warriors should tap brakes on re-signing Klay Thompson

By Ethan Scott | Last updated 10/18/23

Will this be the final season together for the Splash Brothers with Klay Thompson's contract expiring? Most likely not.

"We want him back. He wants to be back," Golden State Warriors majority owner Joe Lacob said Wednesday on Bay Area radio station 95.7 The Game. "I think everyone needs to just chill a little. Let this take its course. My guess is it works out."

The Warriors and first-year general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr., however, should not rush to extend the 33-year-old shooting guard. Earlier this week, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported "no progress" on a potential extension.

"They are both still apart on years and money, and there's a very real possibility that Klay Thompson goes into free agency next summer without a deal," he said on "NBA Countdown."

Reporting for NBA Countdown on the Klay Thompson extension talks, including ESPN analyst Bob Myers' window into the negotiating stakes for the Golden State Warriors and the franchise's storied guard pic.twitter.com/YpZaIppooU
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 16, 2023

The uncertainty regarding Thompson's future in Golden State is not necessarily a bad thing.

Last season, he averaged 21.9 points, a career-high 4.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists.

In the playoffs, however, Thompson shot a career-low 38.8 percent from the field. He was especially bad in the Western Conference semifinals against the Lakers, who ousted the Warriors in six games. In a three-game stretch in Games 4-6 against Los Angeles, Thompson averaged nine points and shot 21.4 percent from the field and 25.9 percent from deep. In Game 6, he went 3-for-19 overall.

It can be argued Thompson's erratic shooting was the reason Golden State flopped in the playoffs, so he has a lot to prove this season. Thompson must show he can again be a consistent scoring option on a championship-caliber team, especially in the biggest moments of the playoffs.

Thompson seems to realize he can't be a three-point chucker anymore.

"I learned that I was fried. I was tired. All my shots in Game 6 were short," Thompson told The Athletic's Anthony Slater recently about his playoff debacle. "As I get older, I'll have to rely on my teammates and my smarts to be as efficient as I possibly can."

If Thompson can live up to that statement, he should have a future in Golden State. If not, and he continues shooting Golden State out of important games, the Warriors should question whether Thompson is the right option for them.

More must-reads: