Until now, most believed the Golden State Warriors traded for Chris Paul because of the Jordan Poole and Draymond Green drama. However, it appears it was executed because of another player - Klay Thompson.
The Dubs are aware that Thompson is on an expiring deal. The five-time All-Star has been linked to several teams, but the Warriors seem bent on keeping Klay Thompson in the fold, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
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However, successfully doing that is easier said than done. The Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) stands in the way. There are severe penalties for teams who go over the second apron, better known as a payroll of more than $17.5 million over the luxury tax line.
Hence, the Dubs had to do a lot of pencil-pushing or risk not being able to use the $5 million taxpayer midlevel exception.
Although the contract of CP3 is considerably higher compared to that of Poole, it is non-guaranteed.
However, this is only one piece of the Klay Thompson puzzle for the Warriors. Any potential contract extension will only be possible if the four-time NBA champion guard agrees to a discount - similar to the cases of Green and Andrew Wiggins.
The Warriors and Thompson have yet to negotiate a new deal as of this writing. The good news is that both sides are on the same page. However, it is an entirely different situation as far as Thompson agreeing to a discounted financial package.
Klay Thompson is set to make $43.2 million this NBA season, the final year of his contract, NBC Sports reported.
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