Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

Klay Thompson

Warriors’ Lacob Talks Cousins, Durant, Klay, Green

September 24th, 2018 at 11:18am CST by Luke Adams

In a recent podcast with Tim Kawakami of The Athletic, Warriors owner Joe Lacob discussed a wide variety of topics, ranging from his summer wedding to his club’s surprise signing of DeMarcus Cousins. As Lacob tells Kawakami, the Warriors had been focused on adding wings and weren’t committed to using their taxpayer mid-level exception at all until Cousins fell into their laps on the second day of 2018’s free agent period.

While Kawakami’s conversation with Lacob is worth checking out in full if you’re an Athletic subscriber, here are a few of the team owner’s most noteworthy comments on the Dubs’ roster and outlook for 2018/19:

On whether Lacob is bothered by the perception that the Warriors signing Cousins was unfair to the rest of the league:

“No. It’s not our job to care about the rest of the league. It’s our job to win. Period. End of story. Nothing else to be discussed. And, since Day 1 that’s been our attitude. … We’re committed to winning. That means being excellent at everything you do — from the people you hire in the organization, to building a new arena, to filling out your roster, to retaining your head coach. Whatever it may be.”

On whether the Warriors will have to re-recruit Kevin Durant when he becomes a free agent in 2019:

“Of course we do. He deserves to go and be happy wherever he wants to be. I hope it’s here. I hope he feels the same way that I do and we do about him, when it comes time next summer. But you never can predict these things. We just will do our job, and he’ll do his job and we’ll see what happens next summer; let the chips fall where they may.”

On whether the team made any progress in contract extension talks with Klay Thompson or Draymond Green:

“I’ll let [general manager] Bob [Myers] address those, specifically. But I think it’s fair to say we’ve had discussions with both of them over the summer, their representatives. Nothing’s been done or you’d hear about it. But we’d love to retain them long term in the organization and we will do whatever it takes to do that.”

On the Warriors’ title chances for 2018/19:

“We have high expectations. We want to win. We kind of expect to win. We have a great roster. As long as we stay healthy and do the things we’re supposed to do, I think we have a good chance to win.”

Retweet 4 Share 0 Send via email0

Lakers Notes: Ball, Stephenson, Bosh, Thompson

September 6th, 2018 at 7:49pm CST by JD Shaw

Lakers guard Lonzo Ball wasn’t concerned with his name being in trade rumors this past summer, relays Christian Rivas of USA TODAY’s Lonzo Wire. Ball was rumored as potential trade candidate in a deal involving Kawhi Leonard before the Spurs moved him to Toronto.

“There’s trade rumors every year,” Ball said. “Athletes in general, you’re never really 100 percent safe. Wherever you’re at. Anything can happen, especially in the offseason, so all I can do is just make sure I’m ready to play at the best of my abilities.”

The Lakers ultimately opted to keep Ball on their roster, and it’s unclear if the team ever seriously pursued a trade involving him. Los Angeles reached a buyout agreement with Luol Deng this past week, which gives the team the cap flexibility to pursue Leonard again once he becomes a free agent in July.

Ball, 20, is set to enter his second season with the Lakers. He’ll compete with veteran guard Rajon Rondo for the team’s starting point guard position when camp opens in three weeks.

There’s more from the Lakers:

  • Lance Stephenson is focused on helping the Lakers earn a winning season, studying game film of LeBron James and other teammates throughout the summer, Scott Agness of The Athletic notes. “He worked harder than most guys that I’ve ever seen over a summer period,” NBA trainer Rob Blackwell said.
  • Free agent Chris Bosh continues to eye an NBA comeback, but a number of hurdles would stand between him and the Lakers on a potential deal, writes Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus. Bosh must show a significant improvement in his condition or any potential treatment options in order to be cleared by the league.
  • While he may be a long shot to leave the Warriors in 2019, Klay Thompson shouldn’t be overlooked as a potential free agent target for the Lakers, according to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. As Anthony Irwin of Silver Screen & Roll details, Shelburne observed during an appearance on ESPN Radio that Thompson’s skill set would be an ideal fit for the Lakers, but acknowledged that the All-Star guard “feels like a Warrior for life.”
Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

Western Rumors: Rozier, Williams, Durant, Rockets

September 3rd, 2018 at 5:41pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Celtics’ Terry Rozier and the Nets’ Spencer Dinwiddie are two of the logical trade targets for the Suns in their search for a point guard, according to Frank Urbina of HoopsHype. Rozier is a solid two-way player coming off a career year but the Suns would likely have to offer a package that included an unprotected first-rounder to catch Boston’s attention. A trade for Dinwiddie would be more plausible and he’d be a good fit with Phoenix considering his size, perimeter shooting and pick-and-roll prowess, Urbina continues. The Clippers’ Patrick Beverley, the Cavaliers’ George Hill and the Hornets’ Kemba Walker are some of the other names Urbina throws out as potential targets. The Suns are searching for a starting point guard after trading away Brandon Knight to the Rockets last week.

We have more from the Western Conference:

  • The Pelicans signed Troy Williams, Kenrich Williams and Garlon Green to partially-guaranteed contracts in the hope of finding one reliable small forward, Scott Kushner of the New Orleans Advocate notes. That trio will compete for a roster spot, though the potential addition of swingman Tyrone Wallace — signed to an offer sheet on Monday — could change that. “They just told me they’re bringing some guys in and having them go head-on to see who wins a spot,” Kenrich Williams told Kushner.
  • By buying out Luol Deng‘s contract and using the stretch provision, the Lakers gave themselves a chance to offer Kevin Durant a max salary in free agency, as Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders examines. The Lakers now project to have $38.2MM in cap space, which would be just enough to afford Durant, Pincus continues. If they can’t land Durant, they’ll certainly have enough to bring in another All-Star level talent. Other high-level potential free agents, including Kawhi Leonard, Klay Thompson, DeMarcus Cousins, Jimmy Butler, Walker and Kyrie Irving, could command a first-year salary of $33MM, leaving the Lakers with another $5MM to spend in other ways, Pincus adds.
  • The Rockets took a frugal approach this summer and it could cost them a title, Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post opines. They traded away Ryan Anderson and allowed two key wing players to walk in free agency. In turn, they signed three players on veteran’s minimum deals and adding a couple of bench players in the Anderson trade, Bontemps notes. So while Houston execs had said they were unconcerned about the luxury tax, their actions showed they wanted to save some money, Bontemps adds.
Retweet 5 Share 0 Send via email0

Mychal Thompson: Expect Klay To Stay With Warriors Long-Term

August 20th, 2018 at 10:12am CST by Luke Adams

While Klay Thompson is set to enter the final year of his contract with the Warriors, his father Mychal Thompson doesn’t expect Klay to leave the Bay Area anytime soon, as Scott Ostler of The San Francisco Chronicle details.

“Oh yeah, you can mark it down,” Mychal Thompson told Ostler. “Klay’s going to retire in the Warriors’ uniform. He’s going to play at Chase Center (the Warriors’ new arena, opening in 2019), and he’s not going to be at Chase Center as a visiting player, he’s going to be a Warrior for the next seven or eight years.”

The Warriors are said to be interested in completing an extension with Klay Thompson at some point before he reaches free agency in 2019. He would be eligible for a more lucrative deal if he waits to hit the open market, but there has been speculation that he’d be open to accepting a team-friendly offer worth less than the max. If that’s the case, he and the Warriors could work something out in the coming months.

[RELATED: Steph Curry wants to be a Warrior for life]

Of course, Mychal Thompson’s opinions on his son’s future don’t come with any guarantees. It will be up to Klay whether or not he wants to remain in Golden State for the long term. The 28-year-old is only the third option on a potent Warriors offense that features Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry, so the opportunity to be the leading scorer – with a new maximum-salary contract – on another team could be appealing. However, the Warriors provide him the best chance to compete for a title on a yearly basis, as his father points out.

“He’s got such a good thing here,” Mychal Thompson said, per Ostler. “The Warriors have such a special thing here. For the next six or seven years, they’re going to be championship material, they’re not going to break that up. The (1990s) Bulls were broken up too prematurely. (Warriors co-owners) Joe Lacob and Peter Guber aren’t going to let that happen. Are you kidding? They can afford it. They’re the Warriors, this is the Bay Area, they got a beautiful arena, and money’s no object for this team.”

For his part, Klay Thompson has also said in the past that he would like to stick with the Warriors, albeit in more general terms than those used by his father. He maintained that stance during a conversation with Mark Medina of The Bay Area News Group, indicating that he’d like to be a “Warrior for life.”

“Contract negotiations are way down the line,” the four-time All-Star said. “But I think we all have the same interest. I would love to be here for the rest of my career.”

Retweet 10 Share 0 Send via email0

And-Ones: 2019 FAs, MVP Odds, Oldest Vets

August 15th, 2018 at 7:38pm CST by clarkcrum

An ESPN panel was asked where they think some of the top-projected free agents of 2019 might end up next summer. The results were interesting, with the panel making a prediction for five players: Kyrie Irving, Jimmy Butler, Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant, and Klay Thompson.

As we explored earlier this summer, both Irving and Butler have reportedly expressed interested in playing together, and the panel obviously took that into consideration, predicting both players to suit up for the Knicks next season. However, the Celtics were a close second for Irving.

Interestingly, the Lakers were the second-highest voted selection for both Butler and Thompson, and the first-place selection for Leonard by a wide-margin. Meanwhile, both Thompson and Durant are projected to return to the Warriors.

We have more from around the league:

Retweet 4 Share 0 Send via email0

Myers: Warriors Will Give Durant ‘Whatever He Wants’ On New Deal

June 12th, 2018 at 8:46am CST by Luke Adams

Kevin Durant indicated several days ago that he fully intends to re-sign with the Warriors after opting out of his contract this summer, and it doesn’t sound like president of basketball operations Bob Myers will draw any sort of hard line in negotiations. As Janie McCauley of The Associated Press relays, Myers said the team is prepared to give Durant “whatever he wants.”

“Sometimes you don’t negotiate. I’d love to have him for 10 years. Kevin Durant, look what he did for us last year, he did us a great service,” Myers said. “He’s earned the right to sign whatever deal he wants. I just want him to sign a deal. But want him to be happy and want him to know that we want him as long as he wants to be here. He’s earned that, to kind of lay out the terms. He can do whatever he wants. That shouldn’t be a long negotiation.”

In each of the last two summers, Durant has signed a two-year contract with a second-year player option in order to maximize his flexibility. However, the Early Bird exception prohibits that sort of deal. If the Warriors re-sign the star forward using his Early Bird rights, the contract would have to be for at least two years (with no options) and couldn’t exceed four years.

Durant could still sign a one-year pact with an eye toward hitting free agency again in 2019, when he’ll have full Bird rights and could sign a five-year contract. But a one-year deal this year would use the Non-Bird exception and wouldn’t allow him to earn his full max, since he accepted a discount last summer. As such, Durant will have some decisions to make this offseason, and it sounds like the Warriors are ready to accommodate whatever path he chooses.

Meanwhile, the Warriors have a few other extension candidates to keep an eye on this summer, including Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and head coach Steve Kerr. For his part, Kerr said he expects to get a new agreement “done pretty quick,” suggesting that wouldn’t be an acrimonious negotiation either. As for Thompson and Green, Myers agreed with team owner Joe Lacob that the team will explore new deals for those stars this offseason, but suggested that won’t necessarily be a top priority.

“It’s a lot of different conversations that have to take place and if that’s something that we want to look into, I’m sure we could have those (conversations),” Myers said. “Klay’s got another year, Draymond’s got two more. Kevin’s really the free agent we have to focus on.”

Retweet 8 Share 0 Send via email0

Warriors Plan Extension Offers For Thompson, Green

June 9th, 2018 at 9:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

There have been concerns about the Warriors’ ability to afford Klay Thompson and Draymond Green when their free agency years arrive, but owner Joe Lacob plans to aggressively address the situation this summer, relays Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.

Shortly after wrapping up the team’s third title in four years Friday night, Lacob said he intends to submit extension offers to both players during the offseason.

“All good things cost a lot,” he explained. “We’re going to try to sign Klay and Draymond to extensions this summer. They’ve earned the right to do whatever they want; maybe they want to wait until free agency. I can’t control that. But we’ll do whatever we can to keep them.

“We’ve proven that if we think we’re competing for a championship, we’ll be in the luxury tax. No one wants to be, but we expect to be. All I can tell you is we’re going to sit down and do our planning on how we’re going to improve the team for the future and setting ourselves up in the future. And it could go a number of different ways.”

Thompson is entering the final year of a contract that will pay him $18,988,725 next season. He has spent seven years with the Warriors and is coming off his fourth straight All-Star appearance. Green has two seasons left on his current deal, worth $17,469,565 next season and $18,539,130 in 2019/20. He has been with Golden State for six years and is a three-time All-Star.

Extensions for Thompson and Green would come at the same time the Warriors have to spend big to re-sign Kevin Durant, who is virtually certain to opt out of a $26.25MM salary and enter free agency for the third straight summer. If all three players agree to new contracts, the Warriors would likely be headed for the largest luxury tax bill in NBA history.

Retweet 13 Share 0 Send via email0

Klay Thompson To Play In Game 2

June 3rd, 2018 at 4:59pm CST by marksuleymanov

6:09pm: Thompson will play in tonight’s contest, according to the Warriors’ Twitter feed.

4:59pm: Klay Thompson suffered a high left ankle sprain with significant bruising during the Warriors‘ Game 1 victory but is likely to play tonight, according to reports from ESPN’s Ramon Shelburne and USA TODAY’s Sam Amick.

The injury occurred when Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith dove for a loose ball early in the first quarter and landed on Thompson’s leg. After briefly leaving the game, Thompson returned to the game and played through the injury. Thompson told reporters yesterday that the pain worsened the day after the victory and if Game 2 had been scheduled for Saturday, he was unsure he could play.

Walking with a noticeable limp, Thompson said he was angered when he saw a replay of Smith’s dive.

“From watching that replay, it pissed me off,” Thompson said. “That’s a tough play on the ball, and then just to tumble into somebody’s legs like that. You’ve got to move past it, but it’s just life, and I’m going to be better from it. It’s just a minor setback. But I don’t think it was intentional.”

Thompson remains listed as “questionable” for tonight’s game. The Warriors sharpshooter has never missed a postseason game and while he’ll likely attempt to play, it’s uncertain how effective he will be on a bothersome ankle.

Retweet 7 Share 0 Send via email0

Injury Updates: James, Thompson, Iguodala

June 2nd, 2018 at 7:30pm CST by Arthur Hill

Even though he scored 51 points, LeBron James played much of Game 1 of the NBA Finals with blurred vision after being poked in the eye by Draymond Green. As the Cavaliers ran through their first practice today since Thursday’s loss, James reported that his eye has improved, relays Brian Windhorst of ESPN.

“It doesn’t look better, but the docs told me it’s better,” James said. “It’s just going through a stage right now of recovering. … I’m taking my medication that I’ve been given by the doctors. My eyedrops and my antibiotic to help me with the recovery as fast as possible. But it’s an eye. I mean, it’s going to recover as fast as it can on its own. There is nothing you can do. I can’t ice it or anything like that.”

James was attempting a dunk in the second quarter when Green contested it and hit him in the eye, recounts Jenna West of Sports Illustrated. That eye was seen bleeding during a close-up camera shot later in the game.

As we passed along earlier, Golden State guard Klay Thompson is hopeful about his chances to play in Game 2 after a collision with J.R. Smith that left him with a high ankle sprain. Thompson was limping at today’s practice, tweets Ethan Strauss of The Athletic, and said he’s not sure he could play if the game were tonight.

Thompson expressed frustration at Smith for what he considers a reckless play, relays Anthony Slater of The Athletic, who adds that Nick Young will probably start if Thompson can’t go.

“I’m going to do what I can in these next 24 hours or so to loosen it up as much as possible, get some stability back,” Thompson said. “I’m optimistic for tomorrow. That’s the hard part of the game we all have to endure. Got to let it go. It happens. I’ve just got to move on.”

While Thompson is listed as questionable for tomorrow, Andre Iguodala remains doubtful with a bruised knee he suffered in the Western Conference finals, West relays in a separate story. Iguodala continues to make progress, but still has pain in the knee and inflammation in the surrounding nerve.

Retweet 5 Share 0 Send via email0

Klay Thompson Plans To Play In Game 2

June 2nd, 2018 at 3:23pm CST by clarkcrum

Lost in much of the hoopla surrounding the newsworthy finish in Game 1 of the NBA Finals was the injury suffered by Warriors’ guard Klay Thompson during the middle of the first quarter when J.R. Smith rolled under him and crashed into his legs.

Thompson ended up returning to the game and finished with 24 points, but according to Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports, Thompson suffered a high left ankle sprain during the play that has left him with significant bruising in the ankle.

Thompson still plans to play in Game 2 tomorrow night, but admits that he has been receiving around-the clock treatment since late Thursday night. Per Anthony Slater of The Athletic, Thompson said the pain got worse from last night to today and that if the game were tonight, he’s not sure if he could play.

Slater adds that the team is officially listing Thompson as “questionable” for tomorrow night.

Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0