What does that have to do with taking pay cut? It's all relative. (Besides, you don't think he can still get a max contract from an NBA team?) It's funny people hate on Ryan Anderson for getting over paid and at the same time hate on Klay Thompson for getting under paid.
I mean, it's easy to hate these guys, but I'm not sure I can hate on them for abusing the system to win. That's what all teams are trying to do. This is the league's, the 30 owner's, and, to a lesser extent, the player's union's fault. They allow this antiquated salary system that doesn't allow the players to truly make what they are worth while capping teams from trying to get better. Now, the Warriors abused a 1 year loophole and have a superteam and no one can really compete with that. Rockets are probably the best team that can realistically be put together and the Warriors just beat them by 40 points. Drop the max contract and guys like Klay will leave because someone will overpay him beyond what he can make now and what he can receive in sponsor money. Same with Draymond. This system is supposed to promote parity, but instead it's promoted dynasties and tanking.
There are very few people you would "build your team around". Lebron, Harden, KD, Steph, Davis, Giannis...who else? Even a team built around Cp3 is bound for failure as we had seen on the Clippers. In fact most good teams now have 2 or more superstars on their team so why do you act like Klay has to carry the entire offense when almost nobody does that in today's NBA? Even Lebron who everybody says is carrying the heaviest load in the playoffs has Kevin Love who is a multiple all star as his sidekick. So your scenario of "Well if Klay has to carry the entire offense blah blah" won't happen unless the team is trash and then you would like to assemble through the draft or get other stars in FA. And being a complementary piece its gonna be a lot easier to recruit FAs to be the top dog then have them become 2nd banana if they sign. Klay Thompson is easily top 10 in today's NBA, that makes him a 2nd tier superstar. Like I said the NBA is overflowing with "1A" type of players and other than the very best all of those are similar in quality Butler, George, Wall, Irving, Lilliard, Mitchell m, Hayward etc. you will get one of these eventually every playoff team has at least one of these guys. And I'm not even talking about the up and coming guys De Aron Fox, Dennis Smith Jr, Simmons, Tatum, Brown the league is flooded with "First Option" players.
And Harden should renegotiate for a pay cut also if he wants additional help! We should get a refund from Andersen too.
All I know is every time Klay decides to create his own shot off the dribble, I'm happy about it. I wish GS would just give him the ball like the superstar he supposedly is and let him pull a KD or Curry every time down the court. Run isolation for him. Clear out the weak side and let him go to work. Haha! See how laughable it is. He's no superstar. He can't lead a team. He can't create for himself or others. Someone has to set a screen for him to get open. Then he his elite. His defense is just ok too. He's Kyle Korver when Kyle was in his prime. Hes a very 1 dimensional player despite how often i hear that hes the best 2 way player. People give this guy waaaaay too much credit. I don't understand why some people think he's a star.
Watching Thompson try to generate any offense that isn't catch and shoot is painful. If good defensive teams make any commitment to stopping him, he is stopped.
Dad says it’s so: Klay Thompson will remain with Warriors Rest easy, Warriors fans. Klay Thompson’s dad assured me Friday night that NBA finances and salary caps be damned, Klay isn’t going anywhere. “Oh yeah, you can mark it down,” Mychal Thompson said at a party to kick off the Thompson Family Foundation’s first charity golf tourney. “Klay’s going to retire in the Warriors’ uniform. He’s going to play at Chase Center (the Warriors’ new arena, opening in 2019), and he’s not going to be at Chase Center as a visiting player, he’s going to be a Warrior for the next seven or eight years.” [...] But back to Klay’s dad. Klay will be going into his eighth NBA season, and there is Warriors’ fan anxiety about his future. Some guys will take less money to play with a team they want to play with, but it could come down to Klay taking a massive haircut to stay with the Warriors. “He’s got such a good thing here,” Mychal Thompson said. “The Warriors have such a special thing here. For the next six or seven years they’re going to be championship material, they’re not going to break that up. The Bulls (with Michael Jordan) were broken up too prematurely. (Warriors owners) Joe Lacob and Peter Guber aren’t going to let that happen. Are you kidding? They can afford it. They’re the Warriors, this is the Bay Area, they got a beautiful arena, and money’s no object for this team.” One thing is certain: Klay will be a Warrior THIS season. “I think you’ll see a hungrier player,” Mychal Thompson said. “He’s going to try to get more versatile, try to get to the basket a little more, more free throws, being more efficient on offense that way. I always tell him, try to make it a goal to shoot eight (free throws) a game. Eight or 10, like James Harden does.” To get to that level, Klay will have to take flopping lessons. “He’s just coming into his prime,” Mychal Thompson said. “Twenty-eight (Klay’s current age) to 34 are your best years of basketball.” Fortunately, they will be spent in the Bay Area. Mychal Thompson guarantees it.
Klay knows he can keep lapping up that Warriors halo effect. If he ever finds himself on a team that is a low seed or worse, he will be completely irrelevant.
All depends on Durant. If Durant decides to jet after this season, Klay can sign the max with no issues. If Durant stays, it may come down to Klay taking less than the max in order to keep Draymond the following year (who will also have to take less than max).
Not only that; but Klay, Draymond, and Curry were drafted there and have played there their whole career. Familiarity helps make the paycut easier
