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A recent publication by a noted basketball platform has ignited a fiery response from a past Golden State Warrior, incensed over the labelling of his ex-Splash Brother teammate as one of the NBA's "most overpaid players".
The source of the controversy, HoopsHype, drew attention to not just charting the most unfavourable NBA contracts historically but also highlighting four-time NBA champion Klay Thompson. Previously with the Utah Jazz and Thompson's colleague during their 2020-2022 tenure at Golden State (a period that saw them clinch a title), Juan Toscano-Anderson was quick to defend.
HoopsHype's distinctive "Real Value" metric was used to craft this contentious list. It endeavoured to harmonize an athlete's NBA contractual value against his court performance and pertinent foundational statistics. Surprisingly, Thompson was slotted third, surpassed only by John Wall and Gordon Hayward in terms of poor financial performance.
The platform contended that despite significant team and personal achievements, analytical data wasn't in his favour even in Thompson's peak season of 2015-16, placing him outside the top 50.
Injury Clouds Thompson's Deal
The site further emphasized Thompson's setbacks from ACL and Achilles injuries, which benched him for two seasons.
From their perspective, this casts a shadow over his staggering five-year, $190 million commitment with Golden State. However, there's no denying Thompson's unparalleled marksmanship in NBA history, solidified by three championships before this deal and another in 2022.
As Thompson embraces unrestricted free agency in the upcoming year, speculations about his 2024 trajectory are rife. Yet, envisioning the 33-year-old ace beyond the Warriors' colours seems unlikely, especially with him eyeing a fifth NBA title in the upcoming season.
The forthcoming season in San Francisco is set to witness an electrifying backcourt ensemble of Thompson, Stephen Curry, and Chris Paul. Together with the formidable Draymond Green, they aim to propel the Warriors to victory. Thompson is poised to challenge naysayers, once again proving his monumental contract was justified.
