After 11 years with the Golden State Warriors, Klay Thompson is on the verge of a major departure. According to one NBA insider, the team has already accepted the possibility that he will not be back next season.
“It sounds like they’re emotionally prepared for the possibility,” said Zach Lowe on “Get Up.” “And I think there’s some hurt feelings on both sides that need to be mended for this reunion to take place… If they bring in another high-price player, it just becomes financially very difficult to keep this whole team together. They don’t want to pay this gigantic tax bill for a team that struggles just to make the playoffs. And Klay, everybody needs shooting, he can fit anywhere. It’s just a matter of who has the money and the means to go get him and give him what he wants.”
Klay, 34, was drafted by the Warriors with the 11th pick in 2011. After making the All-Rookie team, he blossomed into a star and the perfect backcourt teammate to Stephen Curry. Together, the guard duo (along with Draymond Green and Kevin Durant) formed a dynasty in the West.
During the height of the Warriors’ run, Klay (a 5x All-Star) averaged 21.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game on 47.1% shooting. Besides Stephen Curry, his shooting on the perimeter earned him a reputation for being one of the league’s all-time greatest snipers.
Klay just ended the final season of his five-year max worth $190 million and he knows he’ll never get that kind of money again. All he wants now is some financial security to end his career, likely in the form of a new contract that includes at least three years. So far the Warriors have been unwilling to meet his demands.
After winning four titles with Klay and making history together, the Warriors never planned to let him go. But after finishing 10th in the West last season, with Thompson shooting just 38% from three, GM Mike Dunleay Jr. decided to hold back on Klay’s new contract offer.
After achieving so much with the Warriors, Klay thought that he had earned the ultimate respect from the Warriors and that they would take care of him no matter what. Instead, they are trying to lowball his contract for the sake of saving money. To say he’s hurt by these contract talks would be a major understatement and feelings will need to be mended before a reunion can happen.
Looking ahead, various teams will be in pursuit of Thompson, including the Lakers, 76ers, Orlando Magic, and the Oklahoma City Thunder. He’s no longer in his prime form, but the NBA legend still has a lot to give and he can be a valuable role-player in the right situation.
So whether it’s the Warriors or one of the other teams across the league, Klay is bound to get the offer that he wants and he’s made it clear that he’s open to leaving the Warriors in order to make it happen. A divorce seems almost inevitable now and it will be a surreal experience for the Warriors to see Klay donning another team’s jersey.
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