Klay Thompson shares cryptic IG post amid stalled contract talks

Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson. John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports

Klay Thompson shares cryptic Instagram post amid stalled contract talks with Warriors

By Vinny Somma | Last updated 10/17/23

Despite being at the forefront of the Golden State Warriors dynasty, Klay Thompson's future in the Bay Area remains up in the air. Entering the final year of his contract, Thompson and the Warriors are nowhere close to agreeing on an extension, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

"I'm told that there has been absolutely no progress on a Klay Thompson extension in Golden State," Wojnarowski said during an "NBA Countdown" segment on Sunday. "They are both still apart on years and money, and there's a very real possibility that Klay Thompson goes into free agency next summer without a deal."

Reporting for NBA Countdown on the Klay Thompson extension talks, including ESPN analyst Bob Myers' window into the negotiating stakes for the Golden State Warriors and the franchise's storied guard pic.twitter.com/YpZaIppooU
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 16, 2023

Thompson took to social media on Monday, seemingly responding to the reports of stalled contract discussions with the Warriors in a cryptic Instagram post.

Klay Thompson on IG pic.twitter.com/tVBQVQNuww
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 16, 2023

Set to enter his 13th season with the Warriors, the five-time All-Star will earn $43.2 million in 2023-24. Thompson is coming off a season where he sank 13 more threes than any other player in the NBA (301) and connected on at least 40% of his three-point attempts for the ninth time in his career.

While age (turning 34 years old in February) and prior ACL and Achilles injuries could be disrupting contract talks with Golden State, Thompson would have no shortage of suitors should he hit the open market next offseason. Even if Thompson doesn't stick with the Warriors, remaining on the West Coast is a highly plausible outcome for the franchise's sixth all-time leading scorer.

Barring a return to the Warriors, Stephen A Smith makes the case for Klay Thompson to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers. pic.twitter.com/5z598yPNLf
— Hoop God (@TheeHoopGod) October 16, 2023

The Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers have each long been considered ideal landing spots for Thompson. Both teams boast aging rosters in win-now mode. Last season the Lakers were the sixth-worst three-point shooting team in basketball (34.6%), while the Clippers could be sign-and-trade candidates for Thompson if the Paul George-Kawhi Leonard combo falls flat for a fourth consecutive season.

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