Golden State Warriors rumors are going to become a big part of the 2019 NBA offseason. Klay Thompson is a free agent, DeMarcus Cousins will want a huge pay raise, and Kevin Durant may be heading to a new city. That's a lot that will be up in the air for a team that could possibly win a three-straight NBA title this summer.
Breaking it all down, Thompson is coming to the end of a contract, Cousins only signed for one year, and Durant has a player option for the 2019-2020 NBA season. It means the front office for Golden State is going to have to be involved in a lot of contract negotiations, even though the team has been so successful in recent years.
Thompson expected to re-sign
Among all these Golden State Warriors rumors, is the good news that Klay Thompson is expected to re-sign with the team. The Warriors probably shouldn't expect a discount, though, as Thompson will want a raise from his current $19-million salary for the 2018-19 NBA season. In comparison, Stephen Curry makes roughly $37.5 million this year and Kevin Durant will earn $30 million. Thompson will likely want to be somewhere between those two players in his next yearly deal.
A report by CBS Sports quotes several NBA analysts, including Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer, who all seem to feel that it's only a matter of time until the Warriors re-sign Thompson. The former member of the Washington State Cougars may want to see what is available in free agency, but could then come back to the only team he has played for in his NBA career.
He already has three titles under his belt and that could increase in the 2019 NBA Playoffs.
Team could lose DeMarcus Cousins, Kevin Durant
The Warriors have the second highest payroll in the entire league. They are only behind the Oklahoma City Thunder in that regard. Technically, the Miami Heat are above both teams, but that franchise was able to delay paying the Chris Bosh contract, which will also likely get covered by insurance.
In order to pay Thompson, it could become very expensive to also retain Durant, who is probably done giving discounts. It also means Cousins is gone, unless he also enjoys winning enough to take a huge pay cut.
More current NBA rumors
In regard to the Thunder, the team is dealing with another Paul George injury. He is expected to play through it, but George is one player that OKC cannot afford to lose if they want to pose a real threat to the Warriors repeating.
Also, the Houston Rockets are one of several teams trying to acquire Jimmy Butler from the Minnesota Timberwolves. Adding Butler to a team with Chris Paul and James Harden would make the battle for the Western Conference extremely exciting.