Klay Thompson is set to become an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career on Sunday.
The 34-year-old guard has spent his entire career with the Golden State Warriors after being selected with the No. 11 pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. After making 2,481 three-pointers and four championships in the Bay Area, Thompson hits the open market this summer in search of a home for the last few seasons of his career.
Where will Thompson end up? Here are seven teams that could be calling his name:
Of course, the easy answer is that Thompson will remain in the Bay Area and finish out his Hall of Fame career in a Warriors jersey.
Thompson has stated several times that he wants to play his entire career with Golden State. The front office has said the team wants the same, as general manager Mike Dunleavy reiterated Monday that he’s hopeful they can make something happen in free agency.
Thompson reportedly wants at least three years on his next contract. Are the Warriors ready to commit to keeping the Splash Brothers together in the final chapter of guard Steph Curry’s career? Or are there any better moves to help the Warriors capture another title before Curry retires?
Thompson has said that the biggest thing he wants to do in the final years of his career is win. The San Antonio Spurs, who finished last season with the fifth-worst record (22-60) in the NBA, may not have qualified as a winning team yet, but they’ve got arguably the best young building block in the league. Is.
Center Victor Wembanyama, the top pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, was named the unanimous Rookie of the Year after averaging 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds and a league-high 3.6 blocks per contest last season. The 7’4″ phenom is already a problem, and as soon as the Spurs surround him with a competitive roster, he should compete year after year.
San Antonio has a lot of work to do to become a playoff team, let alone chase a championship, but Thompson hitching a ride to “Whamby” and famed Spurs coach Gregg Popovich wouldn’t be the worst move he could make.
The Dallas Mavericks made their first NBA Finals appearance in the Luka Doncic era this year via the Western Conference playoff bracket.
If Thompson signs with the Mavericks, he will provide the team with elite three-point shooting and will likely come off the bench with Doncic and fellow guard Kyrie Irving starting in the backcourt.
However, Dallas will need to get creative to make it happen. The Mavericks are already projected to work around the first tax apron next season, and Thompson is expected to make $20 million over the next year and more on his new contract. If Thompson wears a Mavericks jersey next season a sign-and-trade with Golden State would likely be the route for Dallas.
The Orlando Magic have long been named as a possible landing spot for Thompson if he decides to leave the Warriors. athletic’s Anthony Slater reported last week that there is “mutual interest” between Thompson and the Magic’s front office.
Thompson would mean a lot to Orlando. The Magic are a rising team, finishing fifth in the Eastern Conference last season with a 47–35 record and falling just short of advancing to the conference semi-finals – losing in Game 7 of their series against the Cleveland Cavaliers. . Orlando boasts a young, talented core, with its top four scorers last season – forward Paolo Banchero, forward Franz Wagner, guard Jalen Suggs and guard Cole Anthony – all being 23 years old or younger.
The Magic need another outside shooter. He finished 26th in the NBA last season with a 35.2% three-point clip and last in three-pointers made per game (11.0).
Thompson is no longer the offensive threat he once was, but he still drained 3.5 triples per game last season — which would have led Orlando — and knocked down three-pointers at a 38.7% clip.
Thompson joining the Oklahoma City Thunder probably would have made more sense before the team acquired guard Alex Caruso in a trade with the Chicago Bulls last week, but it’s still worth exploring.
The surging Thunder look like they will be sitting at the top of the Western Conference for years to come. Oklahoma City clinched the Western Conference’s No. 1 playoff seed with a 57–25 record on the final day of the 2023–24 regular season.
With such a young roster led by guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, forward Jalen Williams and center Chet Holmgren, the Thunder enter this offseason with the fifth-most projected cap space in the NBA (via Spotrac). They should be able to sign a key name in free agency to boost their chances next season.
The Thunder were the best three-point shooting team in the NBA last year (38.9%) but what team couldn’t use another talented outside threat? Additionally, Thompson’s experienced presence could be useful in a locker room in which all but three players are 24 years of age or younger under contract for next season.
The NBA is a league of narratives, and what better narrative than Thompson joining the organization that his father, Mychal Thompson, helped win two NBA championships in 1987 and ’88?
Thompson grew up in Los Angeles rooting for the Los Angeles Lakers and dreamed of one day playing at what is now called Crypto.com Arena. Mychal Thompson, 69, currently works as a Lakers radio analyst.
The storylines are good, but the Lakers and Warriors would have to work out a very creative sign-and-trade deal to make it work. Thompson, one of the greatest players in franchise history, who will one day have a statue of himself outside Chase Center, doesn’t find it possible to be traded to a division rival.
After once again failing to advance beyond the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Philadelphia 76ers enter this offseason as one of the most interesting teams to watch on the open market.
The 76ers have only three players under contract next season – center Joel Embiid, guard Ricky Counsell IV and center Paul Reed (guard Tyrese Maxey is a restricted free agent and expected to sign a max contract extension with Philadelphia this summer. Is).
The 76ers mean a lot to Thompson. They are now committed to winning and building a roster around Embiid and Maxi. They also have enough financial flexibility to offer Thompson enough money and years to lure him to Philadelphia.
It would seem strange to see Thompson flashing three-pointers in a 76ers uniform, but perhaps distancing himself from the Warriors with a competitive team in a different conference is the way to go.
Discover more from news2source
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
