Klay Thompson Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacific Notes: J. Jackson, Isaac, Tatum, Thompson

May 30th, 2017 at 9:47pm CST by Joshua Fischman

The Suns potentially have a difficult decision to make when they find themselves on the clock with the fourth overall pick, writes Doug Haller of AZCentral Sports. Three talented freshman small forwards could be available: Josh Jackson, Jonathan Isaac, and Jayson Tatum. Defense and three-point shooting are likely the Suns’ two most glaring weaknesses, and one of these athletes could certainly help.

Haller writes that Jackson’s real impact could come defensively. The scribe adds that, while Tatum is nowhere near the defender that Jackson is, the Duke freshman may be the most polished scorer in the draft. As for Isaac, he can play both forward positions, with many believing that he will also be able to man the center position when his body fills out. Furthermore, the departing Seminole would contribute defensive versatility, having defended all over the floor for Florida State.

Here are some more pertinent notes from the Pacific division:

On Tuesday, the Suns were set to host two pre-draft workouts, per the club’s official Twitter page. The announced participants were Zak Irvin, Wesley Iwundu, Luke Kornet, Kennedy Meeks, Semi Ojeleye, Devin Robinson, and Jarrett Allen.
The Kings will hold two pre-draft workouts on Wednesday, reports Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee. The first group is full of big names: Justin Jackson, Jordan Bell, Frank Mason, Kyle Kuzma, London Perrantes, and Devin Robinson. Jones points out that, prior to last year’s draft, the Kings convinced just once first-round pick to visit the team, even though Sacramento held the eighth overall selection. To find out which players are part of the second group that is working out for the Kings on Wednesday, check out Jones’ full story.
Ivan Rabb does not regret returning for his sophomore season at Cal despite falling from a likely lottery pick in the last draft to an expected low first-round selection this time around, reports Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. On the contrary, Rabb believes that staying in school an additional season will help him at the next level. Rabb was one of six players to work out for the Lakers on Tuesday. The others were Jaron Blossomgame, Sterling Brown, Tyler Dorsey, Cameron Oliver, and Xavier Rathan-Mayes.
Klay Thompson‘s historic Game 6 against the Thunder in the 2016 Western Conference Finals had a transformative effect on basketball history, chronicles Tim Kawakami of The San Jose Mercury News. Although Thompson’s performance that night did not lead to a second-straight Warriors championship, without it, Kevin Durant very well may not have joined Golden State during the ensuing offseason.

Klay Thompson Changes Agencies

February 13th, 2017 at 4:07pm CST by Milo Taibi

He won’t be a free agent until after the 2018/19 season, but Klay Thompson has switched agencies; making the leap from BDA Sports to Wasserman. According to Liz Mullen of Sports Business Daily, Greg Lawrence of Wasserman will be Thompson’s lead agent.

Thompson had previously been represented by Rade Filipovich and Bill Duffy of BDA Sports. Thompson will immediately become Lawrence’s highest profile client. According to RealGM (link), Lawrence’s longest tenured clients are Dorell Wright, J.J. Redick, and Spencer Hawes.

Thompson is currently in the second year of a four-year, $68,979,450 pact with Golden State. Thompson’s rate of $16,663,575 is second on the team to Kevin Durant, who will earn $26,540,100 this season. Thompson has averaged 21.8 points on 41.8% 3-point shooting through 53 games in 2016/17.

The Warriors, who have a total cap of $99,689,888, will have eight players become unrestricted free agents at season’s end; the most notable being Stephen Curry.

Blazers Duo, Embiid Fail To Make All-Star Cut

January 26th, 2017 at 6:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley, the Blazers backcourt duo Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum and Jazz center Rudy Gobert were among the prominent players who failed to make the cut on the Western Conference All-Star reserve unit, which was unveiled on Thursday and relayed on the NBA’s Twitter feed. Joel Embiid, Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony were some of the notable names who didn’t make the cut on the Eastern Conference squad. (Twitter links).

Russell Westbrook, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, DeMarcus Cousins, Marc Gasol, DeAndre Jordan and Gordon Hayward received the most votes by the conference’s coaches, who pick the reserves. Westbrook, of course, was the biggest snub among the All-Star starters as the fan voting, which counted for 50% toward the overall balloting, put him behind Stephen Curry and James Harden.

Paul George, Kevin Love, Kyle Lowry, Paul Millsap, Isaiah Thomas, Kemba Walker and John Wall were named the Eastern Conference’s All-Star reserves.

Did the coaches get it right or was there an obvious mistake on their part? Go to the comments section and weigh in.

Klay Thompson Would Have Interest In Extension

January 12th, 2017 at 3:04pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement is expected to make contract extensions for veteran players more common, by loosening the restrictions on those deals, and – in some cases – making them more lucrative. Speaking to Sam Amick of USA Today, Klay Thompson was asked about the possibility of signing an extension a couple summers from now and potentially spending his entire career in Golden State — the sharpshooter sounded very much on board with the idea.

“I try not to think that far ahead, but I’d love to be here for as long as I can,” Thompson said. “What we’ve built here is so special, and I love living in the Bay Area, so that would be a huge priority of mine … I just feel like if I play hard and work hard every day, I’ll get rewarded no matter what I do, so I’m not going to get caught up with the numbers and how much money I could potentially make because it’ll all come around. You’ve just got to stay humble and be appreciative of what I have. And if I keep working this hard, I’ll be rewarded.”

Thompson, who is earning $16.63MM this season, is under contract through the 2018/19 campaign, so there should be no urgency on his part or on the Warriors’ part to get something done anytime soon. The new CBA will allow him to become extension-eligible on July 1, but the Warriors will prioritize new deals for Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant at that point, since both players figure to become unrestricted free agents.

Still, Thompson’s case for an extension will be a fascinating one to keep an eye on going forward. Curry is viewed as a lock to receive a designated veteran extension worth 35% of the cap from Golden State this summer, and while Durant isn’t eligible for a designated veteran extension, his 10 years of NBA experience will put him in line for a max-salary deal worth 35% of the cap as well.

As for Thompson, he would be eligible for a designated player extension in the summer of 2018, as he enters his eighth year of service, but only if he earns a spot on an All-NBA team this season or next season. Thompson was named to to the NBA’s All-NBA Third Team in 2015/16, but there will be plenty of competition going forward.

In additions to last year’s group of All-NBA guards – Curry, Russell Westbrook, Kyle Lowry, Chris Paul, and Damian Lillard – backcourt stars like James Harden, DeMar DeRozan, Isaiah Thomas, Kyrie Irving, and John Wall will make a strong case for consideration this year, which may leave Thompson on the outside looking in.

If he doesn’t earn an All-NBA nod this season or next season, Thompson wouldn’t be eligible for a designated veteran extension in 2018, though he could sign a new deal worth up to 30% of the cap, if the Warriors had the necessary cap space. At that point, assuming Curry, Durant, and Draymond Green are all still on the roster, the Warriors would have to assess whether it makes sense to keep all four players on massive contracts. Green’s current deal runs through the 2019/20 season.

For now, with two and a half years left on his current contract, Thompson probably isn’t interested in looking too far into the future. But if his enthusiasm for sticking with the Warriors long-term remains as strong in a year or two, it will create an interesting situation. The new designated veteran extension makes it easier for teams to retain a superstar player and reward them with more lucrative deals, but when a club has three or four stars deserving of huge, long-term contracts, those costs will quickly add up and could lead to some difficult decisions.

Warriors Notes: Thompson, McCaw, Seth Curry

November 17th, 2016 at 10:25am CST by Luke Adams

In case there was still any lingering doubt, Warriors general manager Bob Myers confirmed on Wednesday during an appearance on 95.7 The Game that his team isn’t trading Klay Thompson, as Anthony Slater of The Bay Area News Group details. The Golden State GM added that he wasn’t thrilled by the way that idle trade speculation had ballooned into something that he had to address.

“I wish there was a little bit more discipline because you know what it causes: I gotta talk to Klay Thompson,” Myers said. “I gotta talk to his agent. And I get it, it’s part of the job. And there are times where rumors have weight to them and meaning, but I think it requires a little bit more diligence then just throwing stuff out there.”

The Thompson talk surfaced when current Celtics analyst Brian Scalabrine passed along trade speculation involving Thompson and the Celtics without noting that neither he nor anyone else was actually reporting any interest or talks between Golden State and Boston. Scalabrine tells Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe that he apologized to Myers and Celtics GM Danny Ainge, though the former Warriors assistant said he’ll continue to discuss potential trade scenarios on the radio going forward — hopefully, in the future, Scalabrine will draw a clearer line between reported rumors and mere speculation.

Here’s more out of Golden State:

While there’s nothing to the Thompson/Celtics talk, one NBA GM is relieved that Golden State isn’t pushing for a trade along those lines.. “Please tell me [the] Klay to Boston rumors [are] not true,” the GM said to Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net (Twitter link). “If they got [Avery] Bradley and [Jae] Crowder, it’s over. … Klay [is] not a good fit there anymore.”
The Warriors were high on second-round pick Patrick McCaw coming into the season, and the rookie is already delivering on some of his promise, having played a career-high 21 minutes in Wednesday’s win against the Raptors. Tim Kawakami of The San Jose Mercury News takes a closer look at McCaw, who is expected to be a big part of the club’s future.
During an appearance on Adrian Wojnarowski’s podcast at The Vertical, Seth Curry explained why he opted not to sign with the Warriors during the past couple summers, despite receiving offers from his brother’s club. CSN Bay Area has a breakdown of Curry’s comments on the subject.

Pacific Rumors: Thompson, Warriors, Cousins, Casspi

November 15th, 2016 at 9:01am CST by Luke Adams

The anatomy of a bad trade rumor was on display earlier this week, as CSNNE analyst Brian Scalabrine suggested during a radio appearance that he’d heard a possible deal involving the Warriors, Klay Thompson, and the Celtics could be on the table. As it turns out, Scalabrine was simply passing along speculation he had read on a blog, rather than reporting anything substantial.

As Sam Amick of USA Today writes, a source quickly shot down the idea that the Warriors are entertaining any trade talks involving Thompson with the Celtics or anyone else. Meanwhile, one team executive told Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net (Twitter link) that his club had talked to Golden State about Thompson, but that exec didn’t get the impression that the Warriors had any interest in moving him. The Dubs could use some defensive help, particularly around the rim, but the idea of trading one half of the Splash Brothers to beef up that interior defense appears to be a non-starter — for now, at least.

Here’s more from around the Pacific division:

Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders takes a closer look at the trade rumors surrounding Thompson and DeMarcus Cousins, concluding that neither the Warriors nor the Kings are likely to make a move with their stars anytime soon. Regarding the Warriors, Kyler says that the team’s plan for this season is to keep its core together, potentially adding a small complementary piece at some point.
Although he has denied a report suggesting he asked the Kings to trade him, Omri Casspi admits he’s somewhat frustrated by his new role – or lack thereof – under head coach Dave Joerger, per Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. “I didn’t think I’d go from playing 27 minutes to being out of the rotation,” Casspi said. “It is what it is. I’ve got to be a pro about it. … What goes through my mind is I can help this team win. I might be here today, and I’ve got to stay ready. I might be somewhere else. I’ve got to do what I’ve got to do.” Casspi was reportedly scheduled to meet with GM Vlade Divac on Monday to discuss his status.
The Suns didn’t have massive expectations for Devin Booker when they selected him 13th overall in the 2015 draft, but just a year and a half later, the future of the franchise is tied to the young guard’s development, writes Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post.

Western Notes: Thompson, Rubio, Finney-Smith

November 7th, 2016 at 6:42pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson denied a suggestion that his early season struggles were a result of the team’s offseason addition of Kevin Durant, Ethan Sherwood Strauss of ESPN.com relays. “Not at all,” Thompson said when asked if his cold spell had anything to do with Durant. “I struggled last year for the first 20 games, and Kevin wasn’t here. So it has nothing to do with Kevin. So last year I struggled, then I went on a tear, so it’s just like any other season. Obviously we have different players, but I’m still getting the shots I always got before he was here, so it’s not on Kevin at all.” Thompson, who made 42.5% of his three-point shots during the 2015/16 campaign, has shot only 19.6% from beyond the arc through the Warriors’ first six outings.

Here’s more from out West:

Ricky Rubio, who has missed the Wolves‘ last three contests due to a sprained right elbow, is making steady progress in his recovery, according to coach/executive Tom Thibodeau, Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune relays. No timetable has been relayed regarding when the point guard can return to action, Zgoda adds.
Spurs rookie Dejounte Murray credits much of his success and development to the influence of Clippers veteran Jamal Crawford, who has mentored the rookie for years, writes Rowan Kavner of NBA.com. “It means a lot,” Murray said of Crawford’s assistance. “When you’re successful, a professional athlete, you can help a lot of others. That’s one thing he did, is help me get to where I’m at today. I’m trying to have a long career like he has. He’s 36, he’s played a lot of years. He’s successful, and he’s still climbing in that top 100 scoring list. He’s a great dude.”
Mavericks rookie Dorian Finney-Smith has been pressed into action due to injuries on the team, but he is quickly earning the trust of the coaching staff with his strong play, Cody Taylor of Basketball Insiders writes. “Finney-Smith is a more-experienced player in the American game,” coach Rick Carlisle said after Tuesday night’s game. “He’s an excellent defender. We don’t normally do it, but he got the game ball tonight. He was plus-19 when he was on the floor and Milwaukee was only 0.56 points per possession when he was on the floor. Other guys are doing it too, but it’s not a coincidence that the game changed on some level when he was out there.”

Western Notes: Thompson, Tarczewski, Faried

August 2nd, 2016 at 10:29pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Klay Thompson, whose shot attempts are likely to decrease now that Kevin Durant is a member of the Warriors, disagrees with the notion that Golden State’s players will need sacrifice their individual games for the team to be successful, Shams Charania of The Vertical writes. “I feel kind of disrespected that people keep using the term sacrifice to describe me and describe us,” Thompson told Charania. “We all want to see each other do well. But I’m not sacrificing [expletive], because my game isn’t changing. I’m still going to try to get buckets, hit shots, come off screens. I want to win and have a fun time every game we play.”

Thompson also relishes that the Warriors will be viewed as villains by opposing fans, Charania adds. “The NBA season can get mundane; 82 games are so long and there can be some boredom,” Thompson said. “Now, we can embrace being the hated team and getting everyone’s best, and adding some tension every night. It’ll be a fun experience going into arenas on the road, with opposing fans hating what we’ve built.”

Here’s more from out West:

Undrafted free agent center Kaleb Tarczewski has been invited to attend training camp with the Thunder with an eye on him joining their D-League affiliate, international journalist David Pick relays (on Twitter).
The Timberwolves have hired Noah Croom as their new assistant GM, Chris Haynes of The Northeast Ohio Media Group reports (via Twitter). Croom previously served as the Grizzlies assistant GM when the franchise was still located in Vancouver.
The Nuggets are still open to trading power forward Kenneth Faried, with the Thunder and Pelicans among the teams that have expressed interest, Sam Amico of Amico Hoops relays.

And-Ones: Big Men, Colangelo, Fortson

July 23rd, 2016 at 5:27pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The emphasis on guard play and the 3-point shot hasn’t depressed salaries for big men, Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders notes. High-profile players like Al Horford, Hassan Whiteside and Dwight Howard were paid over $20MM annually in this year’s free agent market but less heralded centers also cashed in, Greene continues. Timofey Mozgov (Lakers) and Ian Mahinmi (Wizards) were both signed to four-year, $64MM deals, even though Mozgov had a diminished role with the Cavs last season, while the Wizards already had an established center in Marcin Gortat. Bismack Biyombo received an even bigger contract from the Magic after playing a limited role with the Raptors much of last season, while the Bucks will pay Miles Plumlee an average of $13MM annually over the next four seasons even through he’s never averaged more than 25 minutes during his career.

In news around the league:

USA Basketball executive director Jerry Colangelo will not discourage Team USA players from speaking out on social or racial issues, The Undefeated’s Marc J. Spears reports. NBA and WNBA players have increasingly taken public stands on hot-button topics, while the league pulled the All-Star Game from Charlotte this week over a controversial North Carolina law. “No, we’re not telling them what to say,” Colangelo told Spears. “We are saying we’re supportive. We’re in fact encouraging and they have to make their own choice. We’re not telling them what to say and what not to say.”
Courtney Fortson has signed with the Chinese team Zheijiang Guangsha, international journalist David Pick tweets. Fortson played last season with Banvit in Turkey. The point guard appeared in a combined 10 games with the Clippers and Rockets during the 2011/12 season.
The Warriors’ new trio of Draymond Green, Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant played two minutes together during Team USA’s exhibition win over Argentina but more often in pairs, Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com writes. Team USA had a lot of success with a smaller lineup featuring Green at center and Durant at small forward, according to Windhorst. “Honestly, if you want me to be quite frank with you, I didn’t even notice me, Klay and KD were out there together,” Green told Windhorst.

Six Teams Solidify Meetings With Kevin Durant

June 27th, 2016 at 11:04pm CST by ChrisCrouse

8:08pm: Durant will not meet with his hometown Wizards, J. Michael of CSNMidatlantic.com reports. The Wizards have already moved on with their free agency plans, as league sources told Michael that the idea of returning home “doesn’t resonate” with Durant.

MONDAY, 12:41pm: Durant and his representatives have now scheduled meetings with the Celtics, Clippers, and Heat, bringing the total number of meetings on tap for KD to six, reports ESPN’s Chris Broussard. A meeting with the Knicks also remains in play, but hasn’t yet been confirmed.

FRIDAY, 10:44pm: The Warriors, Spurs and Thunder will be the first three teams to land face-to-face recruiting meetings with Kevin Durant, writes Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Stein adds that the meetings will take place next week and more teams are expected to be granted an opportunity to make a pitch. Durant’s representatives are working to solidify meetings with the Celtics, Clippers and Heat in addition to the aforementioned teams, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reports.

Both the Warriors and Spurs are planning on having key members of their respective organizations in attendance, Stein adds. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson will be among the attendees for Golden State’s pitch, while San Antonio will have Gregg Popovich and Tim Duncan among the attendees at its meeting. Sources tell Stein that the Warriors believe their chances of landing Durant have increased as a result of losing to the Cavs in the NBA Finals. Earlier this week, a source suggested to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News that the Warriors appear to be the biggest threat to land the 2013/14 MVP should he leave Oklahoma City.

Durant is expected to have his agent Rich Kleiman and a few family members and friends alongside him during the initial meetings. The meetings are expected to take place in New York, according to Wojnarowski, although teams are still awaiting official word. It was reported last week that the meetings would take place in Los Angeles, where Durant owns a home.

The Knicks and Lakers remain hopeful about getting a meeting, Stein adds. Despite no definite report of a future meeting with Durant, Ian Begley of ESPN.com tweets that the Knicks are expected to get one.

The Rockets are not expected to get serious consideration, as was previously reported, and Stein adds that the Wizards are not optimistic about their chances of landing Durant.

Durant’s top priority for a destination remains competing for a championship and doing it immediately. A source tells Wojnarowski that Durant has plans to go on a publicity tour starting on July 9, and he expects to make a decision before that date.