Warriors Notes: Thompson, McCaw, Irving Impact

As we noted earlier this week when we passed along word of the Cavaliers’ inquiry on Klay Thompson, the Warriors shooting guard called the interest in him “flattering,” but reiterated that he’s happy in Golden State and hopes to spend his career with the franchise.

During that same conversation with Anthony Slater of The Athletic, Thompson was asked about his contract situation and reiterated his desire to stick with the Warriors, adding that he’s “not really too worried about the numbers” at this point. Added Thompson: “It’s rare in the NBA to have a team that can win with the culture we created. It’s hard to put a price on it.”

Here’s more on the three-time All-Star, along with a few more items out of the Bay Area:

• The Cavaliers, Pacers, and other teams have examined the Warriors’ core and concluded that Thompson is the most available piece of Golden State’s big four, which is why he should get accustomed to trade rumors, writes Monte Poole of CSNBayArea.com. However, the Warriors have significant appreciation for the role Thompson plays in their success and are expected to keep rebuffing those inquiries.
• Second-year swingman Patrick McCaw is the kind of young, affordable rotation player the Warriors need to rely on in order to keep team salary in check. However, McCaw only has one year on his deal, and is poised to get much more expensive in 2018. Danny Leroux of The Athletic takes an early look at the 21-year-old’s restricted free agency.
• In the wake of this week’s Kyrie Irving blockbuster, Anthony Slater of The Athletic and Phil Taylor of The Athletic reach a similar conclusion: The mega-deal shouldn’t have a major impact on the Warriors, who still enter the 2017/18 season as strong title favorites.