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While Kevin Durant may have chosen to pack his bags for the Big Apple, not all is sad news for the Golden State Warriors. Klay Thompson, one-half of the Splash Brothers and the second-best shooter in the world, has finalized the details of his contract with the Warriors.
According to Anthony Slater of The Athletic, Thompson has agreed to sign for a full five-year maximum contract worth $190 million with no caveats attached.
Source: It's a full five-year max for Klay Thompson, not a 4+1. No player option on the fifth year. No 'no trade' clause. Just like the Steph Curry contract a couple summers ago.
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) July 1, 2019
Yes, you read that correctly. No player or team options, no “no trade” clause, no room left for doubt. Thompson is committed to stay with his original team through his age-34 season, and barring any complications or difficulties from his ACL rehabilitation, he will experience the rest of his physical prime playing alongside his fellow Splash Brother and Draymond Green — assuming that Green signs his pending extension this offseason or signs a brand-new maximum contract of his own after next season, when he’ll become an unrestricted free agent.
With the torrential downpour of free agency news coming out of the NBA Twitterverse, Thompson’s agreement with the Warriors went somewhat under the radar. But Warriors fans can rest easy, knowing that Thompson’s career is now tightly intertwined with the Warriors organization for the foreseeable future.
Re: Klay Thompson's contract -- Not publicizing a deal today does not mean there's no deal. 'Nothing has changed,' according to a source.
— Monte Poole (@MontePooleNBCS) July 1, 2019
Upshot: With Klay still set to sign when moratorium lifts (July 6), Warriors can place time/energy on other needs.
Now that Durant has left for the Brooklyn Nets, the Warriors will now try to run it back with their original Big 3, all while trying to assemble a squad around them that will continue to compete for championships. Thompson’s early and quick commitment can now allow them to shift their focus on that specific goal.