Klay Thompson and the Golden State Warriors have already engaged in contract extension talks.
The most Thompson could sign in the first year of an extension is a 120 percent raise, which would significantly decrease the total he could get if he waited for the 2019 offseason.
Thompson is looking at a maximum five-year salary of $121 million should he sign an extension.
If Thompson were to wait for free agency, he could sign a five-year, $188 million extension. Thompson likely understands the maximum will be nearly impossible for the Warriors to offer.
Thompson's max contract in 2019 with a rival team is $139 million over four seasons.
“It would be hard for me to envision going anywhere else,” Thompson said in a profile by Bleacher Report.
Sources indicate Thompson's five-year total could be as low as $111 million.
Thompson signed a four-year, $69 million extension in 2014, which was expected to be a max contract but the cap rose more than expected.
Those close to Thompson say $110 million in a place he knows and love over $150 million in a new place isn't a difficult decision for him.