Should the Orlando Magic Sign Klay Thompson?

Should the Orlando Magic Sign Klay Thompson?

with NBA free agency just right around the corner the Orlando Magic are expected to be big time Spenders this off season they’re looking to be aggressive and they’re projected to have about $50 to $60 million in cap space to spend this off season and one player in particular consistently is rumored in linked to the Orlando Magic and that’s going to come with a four-time champion one of the greatest three-point Shooters this game has ever seen and that is going to be Klay Thompson potentially coming to this Orlando Magic team now we all understand Klay Thompson is 34 years of age he is no longer the same player that he once was in his prime after suffering two injuries I believe it was an Achilles injury and a knee injury that sidelined him for two seasons and of course he is just getting up there in age he no longer has the athleticism the shooting and even the defensive tenacity that he once had but Klay Thompson could still bring a lot to this Orlando Magic team not only with his shooting but really with his championship pedigree and his veteran presence that he could instill into a young locker room like this Orlando Magic team has and we’re going to be talking about today if Klay Thompson should come to the Orlando Magic and if the magic should want to pursue a guy like Klay Thompson now on June 30th that is when free agent negotiations can begin with players not on your own team and then on July 1st is when the free agency moratorium begins at 12:01 a.m. eastern that is when negotiation periods can begin from July 1st through the 6th which means that teams may not sign most free agents or make trades basically it’s a verbal agreement nothing is physically signed until July 6 which is when each NBA team may begin signing for agents to contracts as of 12:01 p.m. on July 6 and at the end of the season interviews when teams were leaving coach Mosley was asked about the idea about making transactions this off season and what the magic will look for in potential Acquisitions coming to this team and Coach Mosley had stated it’s going to be the right person to join this group you know you don’t want to make moves for the sake of making moves you have a group of young men again that we’ve talked about that pull for one another that strive for one another that lift each other up and Empower each other to do the right thing and play the right way and defend at a high level and share the basketball all of those things and when you put the pieces into that you want to make sure it’s the pieces that fits both on and off the court now really getting back to Klay Thompson if you did not see Klay Thompson already unfollowed the Golden State Warriors on Instagram and any of his Warriors related pictures on Instagram have been deleted and now you’ve seen the picture where he’s following Pao B Caro on Instagram and it definitely brings up the question what is Klay Thompson trying to do is he trying to get leverage from the Warriors or is he really making a statement that he is very interested in coming to Central Florida playing with this young gritty Orlando Magic team that is on the rise and play in a state with no state income tax where he can make a lot more money than he would be making in California so let’s talk about it now Klay Thompson appeared in 77 games for the Warriors this season started in 63 of them averaging nearly 30 minutes a game but Klay Thompson averaged 17.9 points per game 3.3 rebounds 2.3 assists per game shot 43.2% from the field and 38.7% from behind the arc and if you take a look at Klay Thompson a lot of those numbers for him are towards the bottom of his career lows this past season for the Warriors his points per game his defensive win shares and his field goal percentage was the third lowest Mark of his career and it was his worst shooting season since 2021-22 when that was his first season back after those two season injuries that he had sidelined him for his three-point percentage was the second lowest of his career and his PE his player efficiency rating was the second lowest Mark of his career since his sophomore season and despite all of those career lows really from a guy like Klay Thompson he still managed to be fourth in the association knocking down triples as he connected on 268 of them and he was third in the association only behind guys like lri marinan and Dante deenz and catching made three-point Shooters a game which would make him third in the association and we know Orlando struggled mightily from three-point range last season fron Vagner had a terrible three-point shooting season last year Jaylen Suggs had an emergence Gary Harris was inconsistent overall we know this Orlando Magic team was not shooting the ball well from behind the arc and really just from the field in general take a look at where Orlando ranked last year in the regular season Orlando was 26 and 3o percentage they were 34.8% % from behind the arc they were 15th so about middle of the pack in field goal percentage 47.2% 19th in effective field goal percentage 53.7% and they were tied for dead last in the association and three-pointers made per game in the regular season averaging 11 three-pointers made the shooting needs to improve especially when you need to space the floor around fron vogner Palo B Caro guys who like to get on the inside and then you can really create space opening up the floor but let’s take a look at the number not just in the regular season let’s take a look at the numbers for the Magic in the postseason they obviously played Seven postseason games and despite that they were fifth most in three-pointers attempted per game averaging 33.3 three-point attempts per game in the postseason and they were also fourth worst in three-pointers made per game at 10.3 out of everybody in the postseason and they were also third worst in three-point percentage in the postseason 30.9% that is not going to get the job done especially at a halfcourt offense when teams in the postseason like to get back and set their defenses now really back to Klay Thompson again like I mentioned earlier Klay Thompson is no longer the shooter the athlete or even the defender that he once was in his prime but he can definitely come in and help this Orlando Magic team not only is he going to be a veteran presence both on and off the court I also think that his defensive inefficiencies can be made up for by the rest of this team you’ve got Jaylen Suggs who just made an all-nba defensive team maybe the magic will continue to keep Jonathan Isaac around after his his deal is non guaranteed and you’re still going to have one of the top defensive units in the game of basketball and even though like I said Klay Thompson is no longer the same sniper anymore the fact that he is a threat to shoot from Deep especially being the third best last year in the association with catching made three-pointers you get a guy like fron Vagner or Palo Ben Caro get these guys on the Block and when that trap comes you know you have a guy who is at least a threat on the perimeter to be an elite catch and shoot jumper from the perimeter that is where Klay Thompson could make his bark for this Orlando Magic team now where’s my verdict when it comes to a guy like Klay Thompson for me personally I’m not handing out a three or fouryear deal to a 34-year-old aging declining Klay Thompson I am not paying this guy Max money I’m not paying him over $100 million now there might be some magic fans and maybe Jeff Wellman Anthony Parker and the rest of the Orlando Magic front office really values a guy like Klay Thompson not only what he’s going to bring on to the court but what he can bring off the court my thing is I think that Klay Thompson’s in a decline I believe that injuries have caught up to him and of course he no longer is the same player that he is anymore I would be willing to pay Klay Thompson a 2-year deal preferably with a player option or a club option going into his second year and I’d be willing to give this guy a 2-year $50 million contract he’s going to make a majority of that money not just with a signing bonus but also in a state with no state income tax and he’s going to be able to live in a nice sunny warm place like he was in California but also now with no state income tax and a young and upand cominging Orlando Magic team I would be very inclined to give Klay Thompson a two-year $50 million deal preferably with that team option and allow him to come in and at least make his Mark in his first season on this Orlando Magic team and realistically even if the Orlando Magic do not want to pursue a guy like Klay Thompson you could still go get a younger cheaper option and a guy who can not only do what Klay Thompson can do maybe even do it at just about the same level production for maybe a bit cheaper guys I’m talking about like Malik monk Gary Trent Jr Luke Canard buddy Hill cavius calwell Pope the list goes on there are younger and more realistic options out there than just an aging Klay Thompson who’s probably going to be demanding a lot of money and like I mentioned Orlando is projected to have 50 to $60 million in cap space this off season depending on some of the moves that they make with their roster and some of their unrestricted free agents guys on Club options with guys like Mo Vagner Joe Engles the goes on not only do I expect the magic to be aggressive in this year’s free agency class I expect them to also go out there and make a trade potentially package the number 18 overall pick in this year’s draft and try to get a big-time player Orlando is right now A team that is not only ascending their team that could absolutely make a deep Eastern Conference playoff push after what we had just seen transpire this playoffs in the Eastern Conference Orlando I think is right there with them they’re only going to continue to ascend and you’ve got a guy in Palo Caro who’s potentially going to be an all-nba Talent fron Vagner could turn into an All-Star jayen Suggs is one of the best 3 andd guards in the game and maybe you bring in a guy like Klay Thompson who could come in and be that veteran presence for this team magic fans please let me know your thoughts in the comments down below what do you think about Klay Thompson potentially joining this Orlando Magic team and do you think that Klay Thompson is worthy of a 3 four year deal if he comes to Orlando like I mentioned I would rather give him a 2-year deal but I still want to hear your thoughts in the comments down below magic fans if you guys appreciate the work and the content that I make here on YouTube make sure you guys go ahead and drop me a thumbs up hit the Subscribe Bell to stay tuned for more Orlando Magic content that we do here on YouTube and make sure that you guys also go ahead and follow me Brett James and Orlando Magic HQ on all of our socials the link tree will be in the description down below so that you guys can go ahead and check that out but magic fans thank you guys again for sticking around throughout the whole video Brett James AKA BJ I’m out y’all and like boys let’s go magic [Music]

The Orlando Magic are expected to be aggressive this offseason via free agency and the trade market, and Klay Thompson may join the team soon. Brett James breaks down Klay’s stats from last season, how we can benefit the Magic, and if Orlando should sign him this offseason.

***
Follow us on social media to stay up to date on all of the latest Orlando Magic news and updates.

Website: www.orlandomagichq.com
X: https://x.com/omagichq
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/orlandomagichq
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/orlandomagichq

#Orlando Magic #OrlandoMagic #NBA