Most NBA superstars in their prime would be happy to receive their paychecks as stipulated in the contract but some are willing to go as far as getting a pay cut in order to keep a competitive team. According to Yahoo! Sports, Klay Thompson of The Golden State Warriors recently implied that he's willing to take a discount if it means keeping the Warriors together.
Thompson's podcast statement
Talking to Marcus Thompson and Tim Kawakami's podcast on The Athletic, Thompson said he would take as much as Kevin Durant's $9 million pay cut in order to keep the team together.
Appreciating everything that comes to the table, he said: "I probably could, yeah. That much? I don’t know. I don’t make as much as Kevin off the court…. If it’s a few million … It’s a blessing whatever contract I sign. I would definitely consider it cause I don’t want to lose anybody.”
Klay Thompson's teammate Stephen Curry, during the offseason, signed a locked in contract amounting to $201,158,790 for five years with a predicted average annual salary of $40,231,748. Curry is set to receive a base pay of $34,682,550 making him one of the highest paid athlete in the history of the NBA.
Apparently, for Klay Thompson, money is not a status symbol and while he would appreciate a huge paycheck for his incredible talent, the salary comes second to winning games and ultimately winning a championship.
The GSW franchise is set to renew Kevin Durant's contract next season and the next summer for Klay. Two years from now, the team will also have to do something about Draymond Green's expiring contract.
GSW's next salary adjustments
For the Golden State Warriors, the next couple of seasons will be crucial in deciding who leaves and who needs to go.
Or will the players go the same route as Klay Thompson who's willing to take a discount in order to keep everybody aboard? Kevin Durant has given his share after agreeing to a $9 million single season discount in order for the franchise to keep their players in the team.
Next season, Durant will have to decide whether he's still willing to take the pay cut or choose to get the maximum salary to stay with the Warriors.
According to The Bleacher Report, Durant could have easily made a $34.5 million salary, instead, he chose the $25 million contract with a player option for the 2018-2019 NBA season.
Klay Thompson averaged 22.3 pts. in the 2016-2017 season making him one of the Warriors' most prized players to date.
