How Klay Thompson's contract with Golden State Warriors became an albatross due to his injury concerns

Klay Thompson's contract with the Golden State Warriors has been very controversial. Since signing a 5-year deal back in 2019, the sharpshooter has appeared in only 49 regular-season games, which is simply not good enough.

As a result, the 6-foot-6 guard has come under a lot of scrutiny. Many Warriors fans were unhappy with his contract, but it ended up working out because he helped the team win another championship in 2022.

This article will take a deeper look at Klay Thompson's contract with the Warriors and how it became an albatross due to his injury concerns. We will take a look at his past few seasons with the team and analyze the remainder of the contract.

Klay Thompson's contract may not have been a great idea

Extending Thompson's contract in 2019 was a no-brainer. The shooting guard came off a year in which he averaged 21.5 points and was one of the best two-way players in the league.

Up until that point, the talented shooter was also one of the healthiest athletes. In his first eight years in the NBA, Thompson has appeared in 77 games on average, including the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season.

Klay Thompson's contract is massive (Image via Getty Images)

The Warriors decided to offer Thompson a five-year contract worth nearly $190 million, locking him up until the summer of 2024. Unfortunately, this wasn't the best decision the front office has made.

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Klay Thompson sat out the first two years of his massive contract due to various injuries. In the 2019-22 season, Thompson had knee issues, while it was his Achilles that bothered him a year later.

Thompson returned just in time for another championship (Image via Getty Images)

Thompson returned in the third year of his contract, just in time to win another championship. Despite appearing in only 32 regular-season games, the five-time All-Star stayed healthy in the playoffs, appearing in all 22 games.

Despite being active and playing in games, Thompson just wasn't himself in the 2022 NBA Finals. He ended up averaging only 17 points per game on 35.6% shooting.

The remainder of Klay's contract

Klay Thompson's contract will pay him $40.6 million for his services in the 2022-23 season, and he will receive $43.2 million in the final year of it. If he stays healthy and helps the Dubs win another title, it will definitely be worth it.

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Thompson has two more years left on his contract (Image via Getty Images)

Joe Lacob may not like paying Klay Thompson more than $40 million a year, but it could all payout with another title. The shooting guard has missed only four games this season and has been great lately.

After a slow start, Thompson has improved and is averaging 23.6 points on 51% 3-point shooting in the last five games.