Getty Jayson Tatum, Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry on December 10
One of the best shooters in NBA history could sign with the Los Angeles Lakers in the summer of 2024.
A Western Conference executive told Heavy.com senior insider Sean Deveney that Golden State Warriors All-Star shooting guard Klay Thompson could join the Lakers as an unrestricted free agent in 2024.
“He could consider it,” the Western Conference executive said. “You know, he grew up with his dad as a player, mostly for the Lakers, so they’re a team he could look to leave for.”
Thompson becomes a free agent in 2024. He signed a five-year, $189.9 million contract with the Warriors in July 2019. The four-time champion is making $40.6 million this season and $43.2 million in 2023-24. He will have earned more than $266 million in his career once his current deal expires.
Thompson’s dad, Mychal, is the Lakers’ radio analyst. Mychal won two titles with the purple and gold in 1987 and 1988. Klay has spent his entire career thus far with the Warriors. He has career averages of 19.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists. Golden State has won four championships with Thompson, Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala.
The Lakers Tried to Sign Klay Thompson in 2019
The Lakers tried to steal Thompson away from the Warriors in 2019. On June 27, 2019, Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times reported that Thompson was open to signing with the Lakers if the Warriors didn’t offer him a max contract. Golden State, of course, gave Thompson the money he was looking for.
Sources: If the Warriors don’t offer guard Klay Thompson a max $190 million deal on Sunday when free agency opens, he will listen to both LA teams, the Lakers and Clippers. Lakers back in the runnings because they now have max slot of $32 million after today’s trade.
The Lakers traded Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart and draft picks to the New Orleans Pelicans for Anthony Davis in 2019. Davis and LeBron James led Los Angeles to the 2020 championship over the Miami Heat at the Walt Disney World bubble. However, the team has struggled since then, losing in the first round of the 2021 playoffs and failing to make the postseason altogether in 2022. The Lakers are 13-20 this season. They have the third-worst record in the Western Conference.
It’s easy to see why the Lakers wanted Thompson next to James and Davis. The five-time All-Star is one of the greatest sharpshooters of all time. Thompson is a career 41.4% shooter from beyond the arc. His ability to space the floor and hit 3-pointers would have made life easier for Davis and James on the offensive end.
Would Klay Thompson Actually Leave the Warriors?
The Western Conference executive who spoke to Deveney said it would be “hard to imagine” Thompson leaving the Warriors. The Washington State product is fully “engrained” in Golden State after the franchise supported him through his ACL and Achilles injuries.
“But really, he is kind of engrained in the Warriors now,” the Western Conference executive said. “He is such a part of that team and the culture, everything he went through with the injuries, and just his whole laid-back attitude and approach. They love him. It would be hard to imagine him actually suiting up in another uniform.”
James, Thompson and Davis were in Space Jam: A New Legacy. The three stars are friends off the court and Thompson could entertain an offer from the Lakers in 2024 if the Warriors don’t come to the table with a deal he likes. After all, the NBA is a business first.
However, given Thompson’s close relationship with Curry, it would be a shock to many if the two-time All-NBA guard leaves the Dubs for the Lakers.