The Golden State Warriors are entering the 2023/24 NBA regular season following last season’s semi-final heartbreak. Amidst the excitement, the clouds of uncertainties are over the future of Klay Thompson and Steve Kerr. With the question marks over two prominent figures of the franchise hanging in the air, Joe Lacob spoke up.
He recently shared his point of view on the contract talks of both of them. His words provided relief to the Dub nation for now as the fans looked forward to future actions.
What did Joe Lacob mention about Klay Thompson and Steve Kerr?s contract talks?
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Right before the Warriors’ season opener at home against the Phoenix Suns, their owner revealed insights into the negotiations.?“We have had some discussions,”?Joe mentioned while discussing the contract talks with Thompson. “These things have to take their course,”?he believed, emphasizing that Klay “has the right to do whatever he wants to do”.
Joe Lacob shares where things currently stand in contract talks with Klay Thompson and Steve Kerr pic.twitter.com/8SeOc0e3x5
? Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) October 25, 2023
The 67-year-old highlighted that the Splash Brother?“is gonna have that opportunity”?to be a “Warrior for life”. “He wants to be here, we want him to be here,”?Lacob added as his words became music to the supporters’ ears. Moving from the superstar player to the 9-time champion head coach, he stated, “Same thing with Steve”.
The franchise’s negotiations with Kerr halted due to his involvement with Team USA for the FIBA World Cup 2023. “He was gone all summer,”?Joe mentioned, pointing that out before hinting about “substantial negotiations”?taking place. Thus, the owner believed that the contract renewal was “getting close” with Steve.
Following this, he opened up about the culture of the organization which shed the spotlight on their activities. “We are all a family here,”?Lacob stated, pointing out how they “love continuity in all aspects”.
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Is there a possibility for change?
With the roster’s big three well into their 30s, the organization needs to take a long view of the future at this point. Thus, the management is taking their time to make the moves. To date, the Lacob-led ownership group has served as a benchmark in the NBA.
In fact, his comments on the current situation revealed how unwilling he was to deviate from that path. Keeping that in mind, their actions also need to suit the best interest of all the parties involved. So, even if they renew Klay’s contract, the possibility of his importance diminishing remains high. As for Steve Kerr, his position in the organization remains untouchable at this point.
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So, a potential new horizon is on the rise, but with active involvement from the past contributors. Certainly, an exciting period ahead for the Bay Area as they enter a paradigm shift.