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The Orlando Magic have emerged as a potential landing spot for Golden State Warriors‘ five-time All-Star Klay Thompson in the offseason, according to NBA insider Marc Stein.
“Something to file away: Orlando has been increasingly mentioned as a potential suitor for Thompson in free agency.
The Magic’s available cap space is difficult to project this far out. That figure could rise as high as $45 million but depends on their future plans with free agents-to-be Markelle Fultz and Gary Harris as well as Jonathan Isaac (whose $17.4 million salary next season is non-guaranteed),” Stein reported in his February 20 substack newsletter.
The Magic, a rising team in the East, are looking for veteran leadership and outside shooting to complement their young stars Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. The 30-25 Magic are currently last in the league in 3-pointers made, averaging just 10.9 per game on a 29th-ranked in 3-point accuracy ( 31.3%).
Thompson is expected to test the open market, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
“This is a guy, Klay Thompson, a four-time champion, All-NBA, All-Star-caliber guy, now coming off the bench,” Charania said on the “Pat McAfee Show” on February 16. “That’s an adjustment. You think about his contract situation. You think about the team as a whole; they’re a .500 team right now.
“I think he’s been going through it at different points. I think he’s doing his best to get through it. He’s set to be a free agent at the end of the season. I expect him to test the marketplace. I would expect both Florida teams, both LA teams, and potentially a couple of East Coast teams to have interest in Klay Thompson. As of right now, unless there’s a miracle extension, he’s going to test the marketplace.”
Klay Thompson Draws Inspiration From Manu Ginobili
Thompson embraced his new role, drawing inspiration from Manu Ginobili, the Argentinian Hall of Fame guard who won four championships with the San Antonio Spurs as their 6th Man.
“I thought about [former Spurs great] Manu Ginobili,” Thompson told reporters after scoring a season-high 35 points off the bench in the Warriors’ 140-137 win over the Utah Jazz on February 15.
“That guy has four rings and a gold medal, and he came off the bench his whole career, and I don’t think anyone looks down on his Hall of Fame candidacy. He’s one of the greats.”
Thompson came off the bench for the first time in 12 years and responded with a season-high 35 points.
NBA Exec: ‘It Only Takes 1 Team’
An Eastern Conference general manager warned Thompson of a rude awakening in the open market this summer. But he believes it will only take one team to believe in him that this season is just an outlier and isn’t the norm for the remainder of his career.
“Look, it only takes one team to think put out a big offer and make the player happy,” the exec told Heavy Sports’ Sean Deveney. “That was like Kyle Lowry and the Heat—they gave him $85 million (over three years) and no one else was going to give him that. But it only takes one. That’s what Klay is looking for, just the one team that wants his experience and thinks he can still be the old Klay Thompson.
“But, really, he is still a good shooter but some of the other stuff is just more reputation than reality. He is not the great defensive player he was 10 years ago. He doesn’t get himself out of slumps quickly like he used to. Transition is a good example, that whole team was deadly in transition. But they’re older now and he just does not produce off the break like he did.”
Thompson and the Warriors failed to agree on an extension this summer. He chose to bet on himself. However, his inconsistent play and his declining role are hurting his value.
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