Warriors eliminated from postseason: Klay Thompson’s free agency headlines crucial offseason for Golden State
Golden State’s tumultuous season has come to an end with a blowout loss to the Sacramento Kings in the Play-In Tournament, and now the Warriors look ahead to a crucial offseason.
All-Star guard Stephen Curry proved he still has plenty left in the tank this season, averaging 26.4 points, 5.1 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game. Entering his age-36 season next year, the Warriors have some pivotal decisions to put the right pieces around Curry to maximize what is left of his time as one of the NBA’s best players.
Will they reach a deal with Klay Thompson in free agency? What will they do with Chris Paul’s non-guaranteed contract? Is it time to see what’s available for some of their up-and-coming young players, such as Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski or Trayce Jackson-Davis?
Those are just a few of the tough questions that Golden State faces to keep the dynasty afloat. The Sporting News breaks down the Warriors’ upcoming offseason below.
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Key storyline: Klay Thompson’s unrestricted free agency
The Warriors will not face a tougher decision this offseason than Thompson’s free agency.
Thompson has, of course, been a major contributor to Golden State’s four NBA championships during this dynasty run. He has overcome two major surgeries in the past five years. He has been through a physical, mental and emotional journey to get back to playing at a respectable level this season.
His resiliency to go from a starter to getting benched to playing his best basketball of the season in a reserve role to working his way back into the starting lineup cannot be overstated.
At 34, Thompson is no longer the All-Star and All-Defensive Team-caliber player he once was, but he is still vitally important to the Warriors’ culture and success. He has been there every step of the way since Golden State selected him 11th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft.
On April 8, Thompson told Draymond Green that he wants to re-sign with the Warriors this summer, but he added that he’s trying to be present in the moment.
“In saying that, when it comes to free agency in July, I just gotta keep that in mind. Like, yes, I want to re-sign with the Dubs, but I also have to prioritize my mental health and lay out what is important to me at this point in my career,” Thompson said on “The Draymond Green Show.”
“I know we have so much basketball ahead that I haven’t given it much thought, really, because if I start thinking about July 1st, then I’m just doing myself a disservice. … So, for me, it’s just about staying present, as simple as that is. Staying present and appreciating being in the NBA.”
That same day, The Athletic’s Tim Kawakami published an article revealing that the Magic, who are loaded with young talent but need shooting, are expected to “offer Klay a ton of money” this summer. He called it “one of the worst-kept secrets in the league.”
Kawakami added that Warriors owner Joe Lacob has mentioned the Warriors want to get out of the luxury tax this summer, which means they have to be cautious with how much money they pay Thompson (or Paul).
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Warriors upcoming free agents
Thompson and Dario Saric are the Warriors’ only unrestricted free agents this offseason. They also have three restricted free agents — Usman Garuba, Lester Quinones and Jerome Robinson — but none of that trio were consistent rotation players.
Gary Payton II faces a $9.1 million player option. Golden State has no players with a team option.
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Player option | Team option |
| Dario Saric | Usman Garuba | Gary Payton II | None |
| Klay Thompson | Lester Quinones | ||
| Jerome Robinson |
Warriors future salaries, roster
Thompson’s free agency aside, the Warriors’ next top priorities are situating Chris Paul’s ($30 million) and Kevon Looney’s ($8 million) non-guaranteed deals.
Golden State already has Curry, Green and Wiggins locked up through 2025-26, with a player option for 2026-27 for the latter two.
| Player | 2024-25 | 2025-26 | 2026-27 | 2027-28 |
| Stephen Curry | $55.8M | 59.6M | UFA | |
| Chris Paul | $30M (NG) | UFA | ||
| Andrew Wiggins | $26.3M | $28.2M | $30.2M (PO) | UFA |
| Draymond Green | $24.1M | $25.9M | $27.7M (PO) | UFA |
| Gary Payton II | $9.1M (PO) | UFA | ||
| Kevon Looney | $8M (NG) | UFA | ||
| Jonathan Kuminga | $7.6M | RFA | ||
| Moses Moody | $5.8M | RFA | ||
| Brandin Podziemski | $3.5M | $3.7M (TO) | $5.7M (TO) | RFA |
| Trayce Jackson-Davis | $1.9M | $2.2M (NG) | $2.4M (TO) | UFA |
| Gui Santos | $1.9M (NG) | $2.2M (TO) | RFA |
PO = Player option
TO = Team option
NG = Non-guaranteed
UFA = Unrestricted free agent
RFA = Restricted free agent
Warriors 2024 NBA Draft picks
The Warriors’ 2024 first-round pick is top-four protected in a trade with the Trail Blazers. As it stands, the selection will be conveyed to Portland barring a shocking development in the lottery.
Golden State’s only other pick in 2024 is a second-rounder from the Bucks, which is projected to be No. 53 overall.
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