Veteran swingman Klay Thompson will be eligible for unrestricted free agency on June 30, and he reportedly plans to test his value on the open market. The question is, which team (or teams) will pursue him?
“At this juncture, I am starting to be skeptical — outside of the Philly backup option plan for (Thompson) — there’s really much of a market out there,” Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports said on the No Cap Room podcast (YouTube link). “The Orlando stuff, I’m not so certain about. (There’s) definite word that the Magic are only going to be willing to offer a two-year balloon payment bigger than what they did for Joe Ingles last year.”
Ingles received a two-year, $22MM contract from Orlando last summer, but only the first season was guaranteed — the Magic hold an $11MM team option on his deal for 2024/25.
Thompson reportedly turned down a two-year, $48MM extension from the Warriors before the ’23/24 season began. Fischer expressed some skepticism that the Magic, who could have about $50MM in cap room, would be willing to offer the 34-year-old a deal in that range.
Shams Charania and Anthony Slater of The Athletic have reported that while the Warriors would like to bring Thompson back, they also haven’t exactly been “beating down his door” to sign him to a new contract. That strongly suggests Golden State doesn’t view Thompson as its top priority this summer, which is understandable given how injuries have impacted his game.
One report earlier this week stated that Thompson was looking for a deal that covers a minimum of three years. Unless he’s willing to take less money for more long-term security, a three-year contract might be difficult to come by.
For what it’s worth, the Sixers‘ interest pursuing Paul George has “significantly waned,” perhaps opening a door for Thompson. The Thunder have also been floated as a cap-room contender that could be a fit, though it’s unclear if there’s real interest there from either side.
It makes no sense for Orlando to go after Thompson with a huge contract over $80 million what it will take to get him signed. Warriors already offered a 2 year deal worth $48 million that he turned down because he wants a 3 year deal.
That 2/48 deal was before the season. If they offered it now he’d jump at it. With the down season he had he killed his value.
they actually offered him another 2 year deal and he turned it down. Knowing lacob he didn’t short change Thompson.
I think he might regret the turning down decent money from a team that he knows and is respected. Never know what motivates a guy with 4 rings. The tax free part for Florida does mean he couldn’t “make less” and come out better. That boat fee still a lot though and Rocco now has alligators to worry about.
Everyone has heard that the talent available in draft isn’t that good, I don’t think the FA talent pool is much better either. Picks and cap space won’t get you too far this offseason.
Oh man! Tell us more Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports!
And what wisdom do you have to offer us Obi Wan.
Tampering is a real concern
Sixers would be a great landing spot…
If he can make some jumpers at a high clip.
IF!
Big if jump shot.
If Klay played on a team that wasnt running out lineups with Curry, Podz, GP2, Klay and 1 big like Kerr always tried to make happen and failed, he might have had more defense allowing him to get open and make more jump shots.
Thompson who has been a Warrior the entire time that Kerr has….. 4 rings kid. Stop drubbing Kerr because he doesn’t value 7 foot statues. 4 rings… 4…. not one. Not two… not three… 4 little man.
He’s still a good shooter. But a player who can’t do anything but shoot isn’t in high demand these days. Certainly not for upwards of 20 mil a year.
Theres always one dumb team to overpay but personally I would max out at $15M if one year or $10M per year if multiple years.
76ers GM has always hated the warriors back to his Rocket days. I would not doubt him making a offer just to get the warriors to up their offer.
The sixers GM is Elton Brand who has never had anything to do with rockets
my mistake Morey is the basketball operations for 76ers who messed up Harden’s contract. Did you not know he was the rockets guy?
He played way better down the stretch. Shot 38 percent second half of the season. Every Warrior had a tough first half. Took a while to gel.
As a warrior fan and as much as I like Klay, it’s time for him to walk!
This article feels much closer to reality than others I have read about Klay’s future. I just can’t see how any intelligent NBA team would want to sign him to a large contract as he moves into his mid- thirties. His glory days are past. He has his four rings and 5 All-Star appearances. He’s earned hundreds of millions of dollars.
But looking ahead, what does he give an NBA team besides shooting?
Longtime GSW fan here, watched Klay from rookie season to present. You are correct, his defense fell off really badly last season, and it appears he is mostly a shooter moving forward, BUT his defense falloff was due to Kerr still using him as a stretch 2/3 when he might be decent as a 2, surrounded by 3 bigs, as opposed to playing the 3 and being 1 of 4 short guys in one of Kerr’s useless “small ball” lineups that immediately stopped working after the 2022 Finals.
I think Klay would be a nice veteran addition to the Spurs and coach Pop, who will help him unlock what he has left defensively. I would not give him more than 2 years if I was anyone though.
Klay can still add value to a team, but not at anywhere near the supposed amount of money he wants. He’s worth like 10 million a year at this point. No longer a defender, never a play-maker, can’t drive, can’t cut, jump shot’s becoming more and more inconsistent. What does he have left outside of “championship experience” that you can’t get from a Landry Shamet or Sam Merrill?
His shooting is 1000x better than Shamet or Merrill. You are just doing hyperbole now. He scored 25+ in 16 different games last season, with GSW going 12-4 in those games. He’s a few levels above those guys. He’s not who he was, but you sunk him way too far down due to using hyperbole instead of analysis.
Given that he averaged twice the minutes of those guys, I don’t think it’s an unfair comparison. The Cavs were 6-1 in the games Merrill played 30+ MPG the way Klay does. Of course good shooters are going to tilt games when the play more or score more. But of more concern is that it was only 16 games where he was that impactful. The Warriors weren’t far off a .500 team when he scored less than 20 points, despite having Steph and Draymond. When his shot isn’t falling, he’s a liability.
Except he’s not really ever a liability as long as he plays defense and plays on the same team as Steph Curry or any high volume scorer. Again, you are massively underrating and undervaluing him here. Comparing big mins guys to small mins guys is always a bad argument. I do agree he’s not 2018 Klay anymore but he still had 3.6 win shares last season, Shamet had 0.3, Merrill had 2.8. Those two examples go directly in the trash, try again please. Here, I will help you, Duncan Robinson and Caris LeVert are better examples.
Klay Thompson can’t play defense anymore, that was painfully obvious these last few years. He’s not a 3-D guy anymore, he’s just a sometimes 3 guy.
What’s the matter “Davey J”?? Everyone had you muted so you had to make a new account. Same weak takes as always. Stop pretending to be a warrior fan.
3.6 vs 2.8 in less than half as many minutes. Looks like one of the two is a pretty good comp by your own admission lol. Partial self own.
And he’s not playing much defense these days, and you can bet it will get worse at his age. Him having some high scoring games doesn’t change the fact he shot the Warriors out of just as many games, if not more of them.
If $10MM is selling him short, it ain’t by much. No way he’s a $20MM+ player at this point on a multi-year deal. High teens at best. If he wants mid 20s he should take a one-year deal.
Klay looked cooked and I don’t see how he can help the Magic besides being a voice. His defense fell off and his shooting is not as consistent.
Los Angeles Clippers need to resign Paul George and Golden State Warriors need to resign Klay Thompson. I would rather see the Philadelphia 76ers and Orlando Magic go after younger talent.
I’d rather GSW sign Paul George and the Clippers sign Klay Thompson!
And I’d like to see MJ play against Wilt 1 on 1 at age 26…
Doesn’t mean it’ll happen…
I’m done with Klay Thompson. The warriors paid him $100m for two years he didn’t play, it cost them closer to $300m. He’s now a bench shooter, that’s it. And, now he wants way more than market value? Let him walk and disappoint another team. His injuries exposed him as a selfish narcissist who doesn’t belong. He cost the warriors by playing for himself instead of the team. How many games did he shoot the warriors out of? Bye bye Klay, don’t let the door hit you…
Y’all are praising the kings for resigning Malik Monk to a 4 year 80 mil deal which pays him 20mil a season.
He’s had one good season last year where he put up 15-5-3 coming off the bench and shot 34% from 3.
But y’all are also showing hate to Klay Thompson who got offered 2 years 48mil (24mil a season) even tho he’s had mutiple amazing seasons winning championships and just last year on a down season but up 18-3-2 and shot 39% from 3.
I understand the age and injury injury concerns but if your recognising that you also have to remember the past and the titles and stats Klay as put up in comparison to Monk’s one good season coming off the bench.
To me Klay makes a ton of sense on a young team, that’s looking for experience, wants to go from rebuilding to competing, and needs to add a shooter. Orlando is the perfect example. Sacramento themselves would be a great landing spot had they not wasted their money on Monk.
It’s ultimately going to come down to Klay, do you want bigger money on a two year deal or would you rather less money on a three year deal. Ultimately I hope for Klay he ends up in a good space for him and gets to play a role that suits him. He shouldn’t be the GSW 2nd option on a team everyone expects to make the playoffs. I’d rather see him in Orlando, enjoying his time in Florida playing off Paolo and Franz, helping develop Anthony Black and Jalen Suggs and helping drive them deep into the playoffs.