Klay Thompson to leave Warriors? Kendrick Perkins advices franchise legend to refuse a paycut

Klay Thompson has been under some sharp criticism off late after his disappointing postseason. The veteran guard played below par as the Golden State Warriors were beaten by the Los Angeles Lakers.

Since his struggles, there have been many who believe Thompson is now past his prime. However, the Warriors’ Head Coach, Steve Kerr, believes that he has much more left in him. Moreover, the management too has his back as they believe firmly in his talents.

As of today, Golden State has headed into an important off-season as they look to rebuild after a disappointing defense to their title. Looking to create a championship side, the Warriors are expected to make changes to their roster as well. Unsurprisingly, this would mean making adjustments in the salary caps of players to accommodate new ones.

Klay Thompson is eligible for an extension this summer as he enters the final year of his five-year contract. He is reported to make $43.2M during the 2023-24 NBA season. However, according to Shams Charania and Anthony Slater, if he decides to extend, it is likely that he would have to take a pay cut.

While some believe a pay cut is reasonable, former NBA player turned-analyst Kendrick Perkins disagrees. Perkins was talking on ESPN’s first take with Stephen A. Smith about Klay Thompson’s pay cut reports, and he had quite a bit to say about it. “Why should Klay Thompson take a pay cut? Let’s be honest here, why should Klay take one? He doesn’t have to,” Perkins told Smith. “There’s teams around the league that would actually give him a bag that he deserves and rightfully so,” he said.

“I don’t care about what he did this postseason, we already know what Klay Thompson is capable of doing.” he said, further explaining why the Warriors guard shouldn’t agree to a pay cut.

Related: Klay Thompson’s contracts and salary breakdown: How much is the NBA star earning?

Will Klay Thompson take the pay cut or move out of Golden State?

Klay Thompson has been the face of the Warriors dynasty alongside Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. The guard has played for the franchise ever since he was drafted in 2011. Playing alongside Curry, both have revolutionized the game of basketball with their lights-out three-point shooting.

However, ever since his back-to-back ACL and Achilles injury, Thompson has been a little off-color. He’s had to rebrand his game and has had some fantastic nights since his return. However, his recent struggles in the 2023 NBA playoffs has everyone raising questions again.

Many fans have expressed their discontent with the veteran guard as they demand the Warriors to trade him away. However, it is unlikely that both the organization and Thompson would want to part ways after tremendous success with each other.

Moreover, Thompson has always been a team-first character on the roster and would surely have a similar mentality going forward. Therefore, it is possible that the guard could accept a pay cut if it comes to that. However, no one can blame him if he would want to leave in search of a higher contract deal with another franchise.

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