With uncertain future, Klay Thompson will “savor” final year on contract with Warriors

Klay Thompson appears to be playing out the final year of his contract this season without an extension, but he isn’t complaining.

Rather than lamenting the lack of a contract extension beyond this season, Thompson, 33, sees it as an opportunity to “savor” what could be his final season with the Warriors.

“You never know what will happen. “I’m going to savor this as much as I can,” Thompson said hours before the game in Sacramento on Friday night. “Especially in this outfit. I came here when it was lovely, before there were four championships.”

Golden State Warriors' Klay Thompson (11) acknowledges fans as he is introduced during an open practice at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)

After the shootaround at Golden 1 Center, Thompson gestured to his Warriors-blue practice jersey.

“I was here building the foundation, so yeah I’m going to savor it,” he went on to say. “Because everyone around the world thinks it’s sweet when they look at Warriors but it’s not always been like this, so I’m going to savor the heck out of it.”

Thompson is in the final year of his five-year, $189.9 million contract, which he signed while preparing for surgery to repair a torn ACL suffered in the 2019 NBA Finals. Thompson returned midway during the 2022 championship season, but had been working to regain his pre-injury condition following ACL and Achilles tear surgery.

Thompson is in better form to start the season than he was last year, when he missed most of their preseason games and opted out of offseason pick-up games. He appeared in every preseason game for the Warriors this season and will be expected to play some defense at power forward, as he did against Kevin Durant in the Warriors’ season-opening loss Tuesday.

According to sources, contract extension talks have stagnated, although Thompson and the Warriors might reach an agreement at any time during the season. Thompson intends to keep money discussion to a minimum during the season.

“I don’t know, I’m focused on the daily dedication it takes to do this job,” Thompson told reporters. “I’m not concerned about an extension right now.” Everything will work out in the end. I simply don’t consider it. I don’t want to think about it.”