I think the Warriors need Klay and Klay needs the Warriors. And I base my request from Mr. Thompson for a home team discount on his recent injuries.
On June 14, 2019, the Warriors announced that Thompson underwent an MRI which confirmed that Thompson had suffered a torn left ACL. (Note—In the past this was a career-ending injury.)
On July 1, 2019: Thompson agreed to a five-year, $190 million deal with the Warriors even though a torn ACL basically meant Thompson wouldn’t be playing for a year of that contract.
So, Klay rehabs, comes back and disaster strikes again: on Nov. 25, 2020 Thompson suffered a torn right Achilles tendon and underwent successful surgery in Los Angeles. Golden State noted that he was expected to miss the entire 2020-21 season.
So, out of that five year contract, for $38 million dollars per year, Thompson got paid while the team got nothing for two of those five years. The team stood by Klay, gave him a good contract, knowing that he would be out for a year and then ate another entire year without complaint.
Klay is not the same player he once was, but no one is after a two year layoff, certainly not after having two potentially career ending injuries. (Sport medicine has made amazing strides.) Still he is an important piece in the Warrior’s lineup. Certainly a three year contract for less than he made in his prime is in order, and yes, that would be what is called a home team discount, because the home team stood behind him and now he should stand behind it.
It is said that professional sports is a business, that players don’t “owe” their team’s ownership anything. In this case, maybe that is not true.
And, realize, I earned around two million dollars in my 35 years of service as a college chemistry professor. If you adjust that for inflation, that is about four million dollars today. So, when players who have already earned hundreds of millions of dollars talk about being respected when they enter salary negotiations, I understand that but only to a certain degree. I think that respect is a two way street. When people treat you well, some reciprocity is warranted.
And, I think both parties will be better off together than separated.
Uncommon Sense 