Longtime Warriors star Klay Thompson sat out the final 7:19 of Golden State’s victory over Brooklyn on Monday, marking the second time in the past three games that he has been on the bench down the stretch in non-garbage-time minutes.
Thompson was part of the Warriors’ closing lineup on Saturday in Atlanta, but didn’t play the final 7:40 of Friday’s win over Memphis and was benched on Monday in favor of rookie Gui Santos, who had his best game as a pro in logging a career-high 18 minutes.
Asked after Monday’s win about his changing role and the fact that he’s no longer on a lock to be part of Golden State’s crunch-time lineup, Thompson said that winning is the most important thing, but admitted the adjustment hasn’t been easy, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN and Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
“Yeah, you kidding me?” Thompson said. “To go from, you know, one of the best players … it’s hard for anybody. I’ll be honest with you. It’s very hard.”
A five-time All-Star who led the NBA in three-pointers last season, Thompson is making 37.1% of his attempts from beyond the arc in 2023/24. That’s a solid rate for many players, but for Thompson, it represents a career low. Additionally, his 17.1 points per game are the fewest he has averaged since 2012/13.
“He’s fine,” head coach Steve Kerr said on Monday, according to Bontemps. “This is a season where he’s had a lot of ups and downs. It’s not easy for a guy who’s been so good and a Hall of Fame player to deal with the injuries and … it’s never easy for any player, getting older. (But) he’s mentally tough.”
Kerr added that, while there’s a “spotlight” on Thompson because of his career résumé, the story on Monday should be about how well role players like Santos, Moses Moody, and Lester Quinones performed off the bench to help the Warriors secure a road win. Thompson highlighted those performances by his teammates in explaining why he’s trying not to let his late-game benching bother him.
“I’ve accepted it,” Thompson said. “You can be mad. But I’m not going to be mad. I’m happy for these young guys. Yeah, we won. It’s hard to get wins in this league. … It’s all good. These guys played great. Gui played great. BP (Brandin Podziemski). Jonathan (Kuminga). At the end of the day, winning trumps all.”
Thompson is on an expiring contract and his name has popped up occasionally in the rumor mill leading up to Thursday’s trade deadline, but ESPN’s Brian Windhorst recently reported the Warriors have no interest in moving the veteran sharpshooter.
Slater expressed a belief last month that Golden State will ultimately work out a new contract with Thompson, who reportedly turned down a two-year extension offer from the team prior to the season.
gettin old and injured is a b
He’s done. And if he’s looking for a big contract, he’d be lucky to exceed $15M per.
We are in the midst of a 5 games in 7 day stretch. One game was an OT game where he played all the closing and OT minutes. The other 2 were never in question in the last 4 minutes where the warriors were close to double digit leads. It’s ok to get a 34 year old a break while he’s struggling to gain his rhythm. He plays 30+ minutes still every game. When he’s sniper Klay he’ll be out there. Everyone needs to stop with this ish. He’s aging and he’s not going to be an allstar again but he can be a high end role player for the rest of his career which is perfectly fine. Not everyone is Lebron and curry who have extended primes into their mid to late 30’s
The previous game the Hawks much taller and better rebounding took a game from the warriors that they should have won. Thompson should see that teh Warriors have a length problem. Thompson also gets tired in the 4th so being a 6th man off the bench could do well for him.
Trade Klay and CP plus draft picks to the Wolves for KAT & a salary filler
That’s never going to happen.
Now that is funny!
The Wolves would have to actually want to trade Towns. I’m not sure why they would. The team is currently tied for first in the West and Towns is a big part of that. They don’t really have a need at this moment for picks and castoffs.
“Towns is such a bad defender, though!” I can hear someone claiming.
The T-wolves are the best defense in the league and Towns is on-par with the team’s defense, maybe slightly better. They appreciate his shooting and rebounding enough as a PF to make it work even then. The Wolves are +6.2 per 100 possessions with him on the floor.
In sports old narratives are hard to shake. Just as Curry and Jokić were once poor defenders a lot will consider them along with Towns as poor defenders now even though all three have made strides and have become competent on defense.
To be fair, Curry is still a bad defender. It’s just that he’s not a godawful defender. It’s his one drawback as a player.
As a PG, you don’t really have to be good at defense. But as a big? Unless you’re Wilt Chamberlain on offense, being a bad defender as a big isn’t something you can win with.
Also, I think Towns might honestly be better off at the 4 than the 5. Rim protection isn’t something he’s ever been good at; he’s more like an oversized wing. At the 4, he can simply use his bulk and length to disrupt opponents rather than having to twist and turn every which-way.
Ok I’ll give you that Curry is still a bad 1 on 1 defender but he’s competent in a team defensive setting. He’s also lost a step but the guys 35. Early in his career he was always going for steals and got caught out of position. He still gos for steals and deflections but he’s better at picking his spots. Much like Curry Towns did the same with blocks. Both now keeps their heads up and try to stay in front of their man.
Truth be told Gobert is a horrible 1 on 1 defender but he’s one of the best rim protectors in the history of the game.
I wouldn’t say “horrible” for Gobert’s isolation defense. He’s just not a good defender against shifty guards out on the perimeter. Wings and bigs, he’s fine. Even in drop coverage, he’s quite good.
Granted, what bigs do you really want going iso against guards?
And that makes sense. I’d also rate Curry as below-average as a help defender.
Why on earth would the Wolves do this deal? They’re finally starting to realize what winning is about, and they’re doubting everyone that the Gobert/KAT duo can co-exist and win.
The only trade I can see that is actually Klay for Kuzma/Gafford/Kispert and 2028 1st round unprotected would be sent by GSW.
Steph/CP3/Wiggins/Kuzma/Gafford with GP2/Draymond/Kuminga/Podziemski/Looney/Kispert to finish the this year.
Wizards get Kuzma’s contract off the books, a valuable future unprotected pick.
Warriors get more offense and shooting and size have been addressed in this trade.
Why would you bench Draymond and Kuminga over Kuzma and Gafford? The Warriors don’t need scoring; they need perimeter defense.
Get a 3&D like DFS or Thybulle
for wizards perspective all they get out of the deal is a 1st round pick. They could get that for just trading Kuzma to a team. Klay will not get traded because his $47 million prevents all trades from happening.
What? Are you aware that two teams must agree to the terms of any trade?
@FastEddie777 – I don’t think Klay would be inclined to be traded to a team that he had beef w/a couple months ago..imagine how awkward that’d be..
Best rebounder x Atl x Nets: Podz
Trade Klay for a young player and picks. He’s in a bad place right now. He wanted the Warriors to give him a max extension. When they said no, he became discouraged and is playing for no heart and enthusiasm. Send him to Miami for Jaime Jaquez and 3 second rounders.
Why?
Miami says no, points out that the salary doesn’t match, and blocks Dunleavy Jr’s number.
you are vastly over estimating Klay’s value
What the hell are you smoking dude. Klay is by all accounts having a down year and is clearly showing signs of regression. He’s also a rental as his contract is up this year. What team is giving up both picks and a young player for that? And why would it ever be Miami?
It is tough and sad to watch an athletic figure burn out. Klay is one of my favorite players and his development as an athlete an human was refreshing to watch as a longtime Dubs fan.
That said he needs to accept reality, and maybe he is, but no other team is going to offer him the starting SG position for next season. He’s lost a step and can’t guard 25 y.o.s on the perimeter any more. He no longer can separate like he used to and split seconds make a difference between being wide open and having a hand in his face.
His agent made a monumental mistake by allowing Klay to decline the offer the Dubs graciously sent his way in the off-season. He’d be lucky to get that now from any team let alone the Dubs. His form is not starting five caliber on a championship contender. He’s not that dude anymore.
Going into next season the Warriors starting lineup should consist of Curry, Podz, Kuminga, Green and finding a capable scorer that can also defend to replace Klay/Wiggins. Klay would be best served moving to a sixth man role, he could play a ray allen/kyle korver bench role for the Dubs, assume 6th man like Ginobili did for SAS.
Klay will retire at the end of the season. Probably to save his individual legacy but also as a service to Steph. Curry has maybe 3 more years after this. Do the Warriors have the guts to make this team a 7-8 seed?
He definitely won’t.
Huh? Come up with an actual trade that will make the Warriors an 9th seed. Nobody is available. The only teams that have players available want picks that the Warriors don’t have.
I heard he lost $20MM of his 2022 salary that he agreed to accept as Bitcoin. Who knows what other bad investments. Maybe he won’t retire because he needs to recoup that cash.
I heard the Bitcoin thing too. But I don’t get it because it’s come all the way back?
Only a fool gets nervous and sells at a loss. They shouldn’t have invested in it in the first place if they didn’t have confidence in the makeup of the investment.
Father Time is still undefeated.
That’s a horrible quote that people keep using.
“Father Time can be delayed until Next Time.”
-Gary 2:6.
How is this still a story? Klay has been playing below his usual level for months now. How do people expect him to feel? Happy? Unless he is in a real trade idk what difference it makes.
It’s a story because now Klay is being benched for his play in the fourth quarter closing lineup.
Previously he was still playing crunch time minutes but now it’s different.
They’re finally going with someone else and that’s sort of a story I guess. He’s getting benched. And because of the trade deadline on Thursday and he’s in the final year of his contract there’s talk of what’s going to happen to him now and or later. It’s worth covering in my opinion.
Major issue with Klay is he’s getting in the way of the development of the young players. Warriors need to make a bold move and bench him altogether. They did it with Wiggins, so why not with Klay??! I am sivk of him whining. He has to say that as long as the team wins, nothing matters. Be super happy when the team wins, not when he has a good shooting day. Please do not be another Westbrook of few yrs ago.
Huh? WTF? Santos closed out the game. Klay was on the bench. How is getting of Santos is on a 2-way contract. How many players on 2-way contracts close out games? How is what he said whining? That is a bizarre statement.
He wasnt too happy about not closing games, ok??? That’s why it’s news. He might not have been as upset as earlier in the yr, but he still doesnt happy positive energy on the bench. He needs to become #1 cheerleader on the bench. At this point, we need him to get injured, so he doesnt play and regroup for the stretch run and play 10-15 minutes a gm. I wasnt too happy about him taking too many bricks in recent gms and taking kuminga and Podz shots. Moody must also be prioritized over Klay.
Klay is a solid 3&D option still at about 25 minutes a night. He’s lost a good 30% of what was once there. I wonder if his next contract will take a 30%+ cut?
If not that team is done