Klay Thompson Return: Warriors Guard Is 11th Highest-Paid NBA Player In 2021-22 Season

Golden State Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson, who recently made his NBA comeback after being sidelined for over two years by serious injuries, is one of the wealthiest basketball players in the world today.

Hailed as one of the greatest shooters in NBA history, Thompson is the Warriors’ second-highest-paid player, behind Stephen Curry, and the 11th best-paid player in the NBA for the 2021-22 season, according to ESPN.

The five-time All-Star guard — who missed the past two NBA seasons after tearing his left ACL in the 2019 NBA Finals and his right Achilles just before the 2020-21 season — is getting a salary of $37.98 million for the current season.

The 31-year-old’s net worth is currently estimated to be around $70 million by Celebrity Net Worth. The majority of his earnings come from the Warriors, but his non-basketball earnings also account for a significant portion of his fortune.

Overall, Forbes listed Thompson no. 20 on its list of the top-earning athletes of 2021. He earned more or less $45 million between May 2020 and May 2021, according to the outlet. Of this figure, $28.5 million came from his basketball salary, while endorsements account for the remaining $16 million.

In 2019, the Warriors signed Thompson to a five-year, $190 million deal despite being injured at the time.

While he is earning nearly $38 million for the current season, Thompson’s salary will grow to over $40 million in the 2022-23 season. He will be getting over $43 million for the final season of his current contract, as per Spotrac.

To date, the athlete has earned an estimated $180 million playing for the Warriors for 11 seasons since 2011. By the end of 2024, the last year of his current deal, his earnings as a Warrior will reach nearly $300 million.

Prior to being selected by the Warriors in the first round of the 2011 NBA Draft, Thompson played college basketball for three seasons with the Washington State Cougars, where he was a two-time first-team all-conference selection in the Pac-10.

Aside from being a five-time NBA All-Star, Thompson is also a two-time All-NBA Third Team honoree. He has also been named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team.

Outside of the NBA, Thompson has had a successful U.S. national team basketball career. In 2014, he was part of the gold-winning team at the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain. Two years later, he played for the U.S. team at the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, once again winning gold.