Steph Curry calls Warriors’ early contract offer to Klay Thompson ‘fair’ – NBC Sports Bay Area & California

Klay Thompson had reasonable demands of the Warriors that weren’t met until he became a Dallas Maverick.

His former Golden State teammate and eternal “Splash Brother,” Steph Curry, believes so too.

Curry recalled the Warriors’ contract offer to Thompson ahead of the 2023-24 season and felt it was fair, as noted in an exclusive interview with Sam Amick of The Athletic.

“This is a business, and they’re supposed to be trying to position us for success with all the elements that go into it. It’s not just a three-man team,” Curry told Amick. “But I wasn’t on the phone when he was talking to the agents. I wasn’t part of those conversations.

“I’m aware of the extension last fall (when Thompson’s agent, Greg Lawrence of Wasserman Media Group, and the Warriors had discussions about a two-year, $48 million deal) and I think it was a fair offer that meant what Klay meant – aside from the length of the contract, which I know was a big deal (for Thompson).”

The contract would have paid Thompson $24 million per year for two seasons. That’s nearly the same average annual value as Draymond Green’s current four-year contract, worth $100 million.

However, Green was offered two more years on his contract than Thompson, and it was widely reported that the Warriors’ longtime sharpshooter wanted the same contractual security he felt he deserved from the only team he knew.

Curry, who was asked by Thompson to exclude himself from the entire negotiation process, knew that the proposed two-year contract length was a major obstacle in allowing his former 13-year teammate in Dallas to join the team. A “tough deal,” Curry.

“Klay turned it down (and, you know, we ended up here,” Curry told Amick. “I wish it had happened differently, in the sense that Klay needed (the Warriors) to not feel slighted. I can’t answer that question because that’s a Klay discussion. I wish it had happened that way.”

Thompson and the Warriors clearly never saw eye to eye in contract negotiations, and Golden State owner Joe Lacob’s cold-blooded methodology didn’t work.

Additionally, there were reasons other than contract length and negotiating approaches that led Thompson to join the Mavericks, such as extensions given to arguably less deserving players that angered some veterans and role changes within the rotation once established by Steve Kerr.

Curry wanted Thompson to finish his future Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame career with the Warriors. Curry couldn’t deny his friend’s desire to experience new landscapes, though.

“But I also know that because he needed a fresh start, things were approached a little differently,” Curry told Amick. “And that was kind of the thread throughout this last season. It’s a two-way street on that front.”

“I think that’s why Klay insisted that I not get involved, because whatever outcome he wanted, he wanted to make sure it was a pure process. And at the end of the day, we all have to make decisions that are in our best interest. I’ll do it at the right time, when it’s right for me.”

Unfortunately for Dub Nation, Thompson won’t end his NBA career solely as a member of Golden State’s backcourt with Curry.

But the change was necessary for the 34-year-old Los Angeles native. Thompson needed to get away from Golden State to clear his head, and he felt the Mavericks were the best fit for him in the final stage of his career.

Perhaps Thompson and the Warriors will reach an agreement on the “fair” preseason contract offer Curry discussed, if the proposal had been written for two more years.

No one will ever know.

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