Klay Thompson Contract: How Much The Golden State Warriors Star Could Earn While Injured

The Golden State Warriors are bracing for the worst after Klay Thompson suffered a leg injury Wednesday during a workout. If the rumors are true and the shooting guard tore his Achilles, he’ll miss a second straight season after signing a max contract.

Thompson didn’t play in the 2019-2020 NBA season because of a torn ACL he suffered in the last game of the Finals. Set to become a free agent, he inked a five-year, $190 million deal to stay in Golden State in July of last year.

Golden State still paid Thompson knowing he would miss the entire first year of the contract, believing that the sharpshooter could be an All-Star-caliber player for the final four years of the deal. Now, Thompson might end up collecting a large portion of his money while sitting on the bench.

Thompson earned a base salary of $32.742 million last season, according to Spotrac. He will make $35.361 million in the 2020-2021 season, regardless of whether or not he steps on the court.

Prior to the start of free agency Friday, only nine players have a higher salary than Thompson next season.

It’s possible that a torn Achilles would prevent Thompson from starting the 2021-2022 season on time. The 30-year-old is due a $37.9 million salary in the third year of his contract.

The upcoming NBA season starts on Dec. 22.

The Warriors have the league’s highest payroll for the upcoming season, set to pay its roster more than $148 million. Stephen Curry leads all players with a $43 million salary. Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins are both owed north of $20 million.

With a healthy Thompson and Curry, Golden State has been viewed as a championship contender. The Warriors made the NBA Finals each year from 2015-2019, winning three titles.

As Thompson missed all of last season and Curry was limited to just five games because of a broken hand, Golden State finished with the NBA’s worst record.