Getty Klay Thompson attempts a shot.
The Golden State Warriors and Klay Thompson situation will be one of the biggest storylines of the offseason. Thompson played a pivotal role in the Warriors winning four championships, but his future with the team that drafted him raises some questions.
Stephen Noh of The Sporting News predicted that Thompson would land a three-year, $70 million deal with the Orlando Magic.
“There have been signs of discontent between Thompson and the Warriors. He deleted all traces of the team from his Instagram account, and the team has hinted that negotiations may be tough after the two sides couldn’t come to an agreement on an extension during the year,” Noh wrote on June 24. “The Warriors are trying to get out of the tax, and that may mean moving on from the sharpshooter.
“If Thompson does walk, then there are a couple of teams that make sense as suitors. He would look great gunning 3s on the Thunder, who have the cap space to sign him. More likely are the Magic, who also have cap space and a desperate need for shooting.”
‘No Traction Between Thompson & the Orlando Magic’: The Athletic
Shams Charania of The Athletic reported on June 17 that there “remains mutual interest between Thompson and the Orlando Magic.”
Rumors about Thompson and the Magic have circulated since the Golden State Warriors were eliminated from the playoffs. But Charania’s colleague Anthony Slater reported on June 22 a lack of movement between the two parties.
“There has been no traction between Thompson and the Orlando Magic, according to league sources, despite some initial mutual interest,” Slater wrote. “There is expected to be interest from other cap space teams and some longer-term offers on the table in a market that can always move in unpredictable directions.”
If the Magic don’t pursue Thompson, the Philadelphia 76ers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Detroit Pistons and other teams with cap space could outbid the Warriors.
Contract Talks Have Frozen for Thompson & the Warriors
With free agency starting on June 30 at 6 p.m. Eastern time, Thompson looks poised to hit the market. The Warriors can negotiate with Thompson due to a new CBA rule allowing teams to talk to their own free agents once the finals are over.
Then, any team can reach out on June 30.
According to Slater, the Warriors don’t have a contract offer on the table for Thompson.
Slater reported that contract talks between the Warriors and Thompson are “essentially frozen,” and an exit seems closer and more possible than it has in his 11-year career.
“With free agency now less than 10 days away, Thompson’s exit from the only franchise he has ever known feels closer and more probable than ever before,” Slater wrote on June 22.
Despite the lack of communication on a contract, the Warriors have “maintained their desire” to bring back Thompson, who will turn 35 in February 2025.
“The Warriors have outwardly maintained their desire to bring Thompson back at the right price,” Slater wrote.
A veteran presence and still a high-level shooter, Thompson could be a positive to many teams.