After a 9-10 start this season, Golden State is facing a lot of hard questions about their team. As arguably the biggest wildcard in this equation, Klay Thompson has been at the heart of Warriors discussions for years now and that hasn’t changed as the struggles intensify. Now, there is a sense across the league that the Warriors might consider moving on from the 4x champion but it wouldn’t be a simple move by any means.
“I’ve had four executives from other teams in the last 72 hours ask me, just in spitball and stuff, ‘Would they ever trade Klay Thompson?’” said league insider Zach Lowe. “Teams see somewhat of an opportunity there in terms of, ‘Can we get involved in a deal? Would they have to attach an asset to trade Klay Thompson if they want to get meaningful win-now talent with multiple years left on their contract in exchange for Klay Thompson?’”
Lowe was very clear that the Warriors have no desire or intention to move off of Thompson, but the fact that executives are even thinking this way is proof that the Dubs have fallen on hard times. As recently as a year and a half ago, this group was champions of the NBA. Now, they are below .500 on the season with talk of some of their best and most decorated stars being sent elsewhere.
Klay Thompson Is In Decline
For a team that takes so much price in their achievements, it must be hard to stomach how much their core guys are struggling right now. Draymond Green can barely stay on the court, Andrew Wiggins is having a career-worst stretch this season, and head coach Steve Kerr has blamed himself for making questionable calls from the bench. Klay Thompson has been, arguably, the biggest disappointment of all. While the shooting legend has come on a bit lately, this season has been rough for him with averages of 15.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game on just 40% shooting from the field.
The worst part about Klay’s modern game is his defense, which has fallen off a cliff compared to his prime years. The sad truth is that Klay isn’t the guy he used to be and no matter how many times he tries to force the “magic,” it will never live up to the old days. After two major injuries and over 10 years of experience in the league, it’s only natural for Thompson to lose a step or two. What nobody predicted before was how much the Warriors would still need Klay to play like his former self in 2023.
Are The Warriors In Trouble?
Steve Kerr has already made it clear that he’s ride-or-die with his championship core, so if Thompson and the gang don’t bounce back soon, they could dig themselves into a pretty significant hole this season. At 10th in the West, Golden State is already hovering near the play-in line and a loss tonight against the Clippers could send them even further down the standings.
Only time will reveal what the front office decides to do, but it’s telling that rival executives are picturing a potential Klay Thompson sweepstakes this season. Even for a team like the Warriors, losing could push them to make some tough choices and everyone will be ready if they decide to shake things up.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
