Some NBA front offices believe it will be difficult for veteran players to find long-term offers in free agency this summer, according to The Athletic's Anthony Slater.

"Word is there are mostly shorter-term contracts out there for veteran free agents," Slater wrote.

That belief is part of the reason the Golden State Warriors haven't felt urgency to stop veteran Klay Thompson from hitting free agency, Slater wrote.

Slater also added that the "lukewarm free-agent market" is part of the reason Sixth Man of the Year runner-up Malik Monk recently inked a four-year, $78 million deal to stay with the Sacramento Kings.

NBA free agency opens June 30 at 6 p.m. ET.

The Athletic's Shams Charania reported in December that the Warriors had offered Thompson two-year deal "in the range of $48 million" prior to last season.

Thompson likely knew he was due a pay cut, but he may have believed that offer was too steep of a decrease from the $43.2 million salary he made in 2023-24.

According to Slater, the Warriors front office is now hoping Thompson will test the market, find there are no better offers, and decide to re-sign with Golden State "at a bargain rate."

Thompson is one of more than 40 veterans with at least 11 seasons of NBA experience slated to hit free agency in July.

Other notable names among this long-tenured group include Kyle Lowry, Russell Westbrook, Nicolas Batum, James Harden, Gordon Hayward, Paul George and Thaddeus Young.

The NBA has projected to have a $141 million salary cap for the 2024-25 season, a jump from the $136 million permitted to teams in 2022-23. Given upcoming media deals, Keith Smith of Spotrac projects that the cap will exceed $200 million by the 2028-29 season.

With the knowledge that salary room is expected to continue increasing, NBA teams may feel comfortable signing shorter-term contracts knowing they will hold more flexibility to add free agents in the future.

Long-tenured players like Thompson will have to wait to see what the market for veteran free agents look like when free agency officially begins before making any decisions about their best possible offer.