The Golden State Warriors are approaching a crossroads of sorts.
They control their future as far as who stays and goes. But this offseason could present the first true test of their resolve to keep their championship core together. At the heart of that discussion is Klay Thompson.
Thomson is at the end of a five-year, $189.9 million contract. He recently scrubbed references to the Warriors from his Instagram profile, causing a storm of speculation.
But teammate Draymond Green is unphased.
“All of you are probably looking forward to me talking about Klay unfollowing the Warriors and deleting some IG posts or something. I had no idea that happened. I think it’s f****** hilarious. Just so y’all know, I laughed,” Green said on “The Draymond Green Show” on June 14. “I think that’s comical. I know you all be wanting somebody feelings to be hurt or something. It ain’t – that ain’t never gonna be. That’s hilarious.”
Klay unfollowed the Warriors on IG and removed Warriors content from his page…
Thoughts #dubnation? 😬
Thompson has been linked to several potential suitors this offseason, including the Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers, both of whom will have ample cap space to work with this offseason.
However, they could pursue other options before the 34-year-old Thompson, leaving time for the Warriors to work things out with the four-time champion.
The Warriors’ finances are a significant part of the equation.
Stephen Curry Wants Klay Thompson Back With Warriors
The Warriors had the most expensive roster in the NBA last season. They boasted a payroll that surpassed $206 million, per Spotrac.
They also take an additional hit as a luxury tax team and are subject to the “repeater tax” for ending another season above the threshold. The Warriors are expected to cut Kevon Looney and could also waive Chris Paul to shave roughly $40 million in salary from their books.
Would that be enough to retain Thompson and keep Stephen Curry happy?
Klay’s respect for Steph is so real
“I can never see myself not with those two guys,” Curry told reporters after the Warriors were eliminated from the playoffs in April. “I understand this league changes, and there’s so many things that go into it. And we’re not going to play forever. But we’ve experienced so much together.
“At the end of the day, again, I know they want to win. I know I want to win. And that’s all I’m worried about.”
Klay Thompson Reacts to Teammates, HC Wanting Him Back
Thompson reacted to those sentiments from Curry, Green, and Head Coach Steve Kerr.
“It means a lot,” Thompson told reporters on April 17. “I mean, we’ve been through the highest of highs and lows. Whether it’s losing a championship, winning a championship, missing the playoffs. We’ve been through everything together, so that does mean a lot and makes me grateful to have the times I’ve had with them like done some pretty historic stuff.”
He also showed the utmost appreciation for how the organization has treated the trio thus far in their respective tenures.
This offseason could be a telling sign of how different Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. is from former GM Bob Myers. With so much on the line and no succession plan given their younger players’ inconsistency, one final run with the big three could make sense.
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Draymond Green Reacts to Klay Thompson Scrubbing Warriors Ties From Social Media