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After LeBron James, Klay Thompson is the next star to tease the New York Knicks fans.
First, Thompson praised Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau out of nowhere after he led the Golden State Warriors to a 123-112 win over the Washington Wizards with 25 points at the start of their four-game East Coast road trip on Tuesday, February 27.
“That’s the goal stacking wins,” Thompson said in his postgame interview with NBC Sports Bay Area when asked about their goal in this road trip.
Unprompted, he quickly added: We get to play in the [Madison Square] Garden. That’s always a pleasure. We’re excited to go to New York. They’re playing great this year. Thibs (Tom Thibodeau) got them playing tough. So, I’m excited to go have a game out there.”
Then Thompson ended the interview by saying he would go to Central Park and play chess.
He followed that up with a photo on his Instagram story enjoying New York’s cityscape with the caption: “I love this place!” (statue of Liberty and Big Apple emojis).
Thompson and the Warriors visit the Knicks this Thursday, February 29, in a marquee matchup on TNT.
Klay Thompson’s Upcoming Free Agency
Thompson is at the crossroads of his career.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr relegated him to the bench before the All-Star break in a contract season. He will become an unrestricted free agent after earning $43 million this season.
According to an ESPN report on February 29, Thompson and the Warriors were not close to agreeing on an extension last summer.
A league source told ESPN that those talks never got to the point where different dollar amounts were being thrown around; instead, a range was presented to the 34-year-old Thompson.
The Knicks, however, have no available cap space if Thompson tests free agency this summer. But they have a boatload of draft picks and mid-size contracts to use in a sign-and-trade scenario.
Knicks ‘Mad They Couldn’t Trade’ Mitchell Robinson
Former Knicks star Carmelo Anthony revealed some frustrations within the organization about their oft-injured starting center Mitchell Robinson amid the rise of his backup Isaiah Hartenstein.
“I know the Knicks are mad that they couldn’t trade him before the trade deadline,” Joe Budden said on the “7 PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony and Kid Mero” podcast on February 22.
“That’s a fact,” Anthony quickly added, confirming Budden’s intel on Robinson.
Robinson has been out since suffering a left ankle sprain on December 8 against the Boston Celtics, which later required surgery. But the Knicks have stayed afloat because of backup Isaiah Hartenstein’s growth into a starting-caliber center.
They are 23-15 since Robinson’s injury.
Anthony said the Knicks have a tough decision to make in the offseason, choosing who to keep between Robinson and Hartenstein, who will become an unrestricted free agent.
“You got to pay him,” Anthony said of Hartenstein. “You got to make a decision with Mitchell Robinson. “I mean like you got to pay [Hartenstein]. New York needs that energy. He’s worth it though like you can’t find a fine center like that today.”
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