Klay Thompson’s Warriors contract extension expected, Joe Lacob states – NBC

The Warriors have had a busy offseason this summer as they try to put the pieces together and get back to NBA championship contention.

Jordan Poole is out. Chris Paul is in. Draymond Green is here to stay. What’s next?

It’s still premature, but Klay Thompson’s Bay Area future remains uncertain as he enters the final year of his five-year, $190 million Warriors contract. There’s a lot to be sorted out, but Golden State owner Joe Lacob provided some clarity on where the team stands heading into the new season.

“I do,” Lacob told The Athletic’s Tim Kawakami on “The TK Show” when asked if he expects Thompson to be back with the Warriors after the 2023-24 season. “Look, we’ve had some very brief discussions at this point with his agent, but they’re very, very early. I think we’re all still adjusting to figuring out what our financial situation is, our cap space situation.

“They’re going to, from the players’ side, logically have to attest to what the free agent market might be because they’ve earned the right to be free agents if they’ve played out their contracts. And they have to look and see what options they might have. So I think there’s a little bit of that going on at this point, but I fully expect we will have some substantial discussions soon. And we’ll see if we can put something together that allows Klay to be here for a long time, which we clearly would like him to be.”

While re-signing Green to a four-year, $100 million contract this summer would suggest that Golden State still has confidence in its championship core, questions loom over the futures of both Thompson and Warriors coach Steve Kerr.

Last month, first-year general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. weighed in on his plans for Thompson and Kerr, two pieces vital to the Warriors’ success in the past and potentially the future.

“Those are guys we definitely want to get locked up,” Dunleavy said on “Dubs Talk.” “They’ve been a big part of what we’ve done here. They can still contribute, especially Klay on the court. And Steve is one of the best, if not the best, coach in the league.”

While the Warriors have time to get things sorted, coming to an agreement before training camp begins Oct. 2 could avoid a lot of conflict throughout the season — something they tirelessly dealt with all last year.

But as Lacob attested to, Thompson can test the free agency waters before a decision is made, just as Green did a few months ago, but the clear goal is to keep Thompson in the Bay with the same guys he entered the league with.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast