NEWS NOW;’ An Insider explains the growing bitterness between Warriors Owner and Klay Thompson……
Sam Amick of The Athletic reports that Klay Thompson and Joe Lacob, the owner of the Golden State Warriors, have “suffered some strain” in their relationship.
What Amick said in the report was as follows:
Thompson was always aware that he would probably have to wait until this summer to exercise his free agency because of Lacob’s well-documented plans to avoid paying the second (and maybe the first) luxury tax, which forces teams to wait to make payroll additions until the roster is completely established.
“Yet it’s evident that their relationship has taken a hit along the road. According to league insiders, Thompson hasn’t gotten any guarantees from the top that his dreams of retiring in a Warriors uniform will be a joint priority this summer. It appears that neither side is certain of what will occur when that moment comes.
Lacob had previously voiced optimism that the Warriors and Thompson would eventually reach an agreement. Even if the two parties are able to reach a consensus in the end, it doesn’t seem like it will be simple to get there.
This season, Thompson has been a shadow of his former self, and as a result, both on the court and off the court, he has experienced intense frustration. Things could get heated in contract negotiations if this frustration spills over.
Thompson is paid $43.2 million this season alone as he nears the end of a five-year, $190 million contract.
This season, he is averaging 17.2 points per game on 37.6% threepoint shooting. Compared to the previous season, when he averaged 21.9 points per game on 41.2 percent shooting, both of those numbers are down.
