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Klay Thompson will not be eligible for a super max contract in the upcoming offseason because he did not make one of the 2018 All-NBA teams, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
Max salaries can be broken down into three categories. Players with 0-6 years of experience are eligible for 25 percent of a team’s cap, players with 7-9 years are eligible for 30 percent, and players with at least 10 years of NBA experience can take 35 percent of the cap.
Players can earn a super max deal if they meet one of the following three requirements, according to CBAFAQ.com.
- The player was named to the All-NBA First, Second or Third team in the most recent season, or both of the two seasons that preceded the most recent season.
- The player was named the Defensive Player of the Year in the most recent season, or both of the two seasons that preceded the most recent season.
- The player was named the NBA Most Valuable Player in any of the three most recent seasons.
That means Thompson, who is set to become a free agent after the 2018-19 season, has to win an MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, or be named to an All-NBA team for a super max, or $35 million deal.
Thompson was a third-team All-NBA selection in 2014-15 and 2015-16, but he has not been named to any of the three teams since. The four-time All-Star averaged 20 points per game on career-bests 48.8 percent shooting and 44 from the three-point line this year. He missed nine regular season games with a right thumb injury.
Marks also noted that Draymond Green is not eligible for a super max deal because he did not make an All-NBA team either.
Draymond Green would also have been super max eligible in 2019 had he earned All-NBA this season. Golden State is restricted because of the Steph Curry signing to 1 super max slot. https://t.co/c0EC7AVZh0
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) May 24, 2018
Thompson seems open to taking a pay cut, according to The Athletic‘s Marcus Thompson. If the 28-year-old guard signs an extension, rather than a new contract, it would save ample cap space for a team that may eventually run into some money issues.
Last month, ESPN reported that Kevin Durant plans to opt out of his current contract to re-sign a more lucrative deal. Last year, he took a $10 million pay cut so the Warriors could retain Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston. Durant told The Athletic that if he were to do the same this offseason, ‘that’s not setting a good precedent for me.’
Stephen Curry is set to make $40.2 million in the upcoming season, which takes up more than 32 percent of the team’s money, according to Spotrac. Add in Green’s $18.5 million he is due to make in 2018-19 with Durant’s newly structured deal, and the Warriors may have some tough decisions to make with Thompson’s contract. And that is assuming he does not qualify for a super max.
These are issues that will be handled down the road. For now, the Warriors will look to regain advantage in the Western Conference Finals, which is tied at 2-2, in Game 5 at Houston Thursday night.
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