NBA Trade Rumors: Will Golden State Warriors Ever Consider Moving on From Klay Thompson?
Escalating salaries of other Warriors may force the team to consider dealing a key member of its core
The Golden State Warriors are riding high. Fresh off winning their second championship in three years, it is not hard to imagine that the best is still to come for this extremely talented team. However, things have a tendency to move fast in the NBA and the juggernaut of today may be forced to pick itself apart in the not too distant tomorrow.
It is an unpleasant scenario for the Warriors, but it may be one they need to start thinking about very soon, especially with the contracts of some of their key players nearing their end.
One of those contracts belongs to their star shooting guard Klay Thompson.
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Thompson has proven himself to be an incredibly important part of the Warriors. On most nights, he is tasked with defending the opposing team's best perimeter player, and on the opposite end of the court, the Warriors count on him to pour in points and space the floor for everyone else.
Thompson does not fit the profile of the typical star player, but his play certainly suggests he is more than deserving of being considered among the league's elite, which is why the Warriors may soon be facing a tough decision related to him.
Currently, Thompson's contract only runs through the 2018-19 NBA season. He will likely be looking for a raise during the next round of contract negotiations, and it will be interesting to see if the Warriors will pony up.
As the folks over at Golden State of Mind pointed out, the repeater tax can make it really difficult and expensive for teams to pay top dollar to multiple players.
If the Warriors' decision-makers figure that they can still contend with a core made up of Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry and Draymond Green then it would be hard to blame them if they decide that paying Thompson and the repeater tax are simply luxuries they do not need or can afford.
The Warriors would be weaker and more susceptible to injuries for sure if Thompson was allowed to walk in free agency or perhaps even traded, but they may still be the favorites anyway.
In the Warriors' ideal world, they can retain Thompson, the rest of their core and continue going after championships.
Things do not always play out ideally, however, and sometime soon, the Warriors' hand may be forced. Thus the prospect of moving on from Thompson is one idea they will really have to put a lot of thought into.
