Klay Thompson is set for free agency and — barring a dramatic mood shift — the Warriors and Thompson are more than prepared for his fairly imminent departure from the Bay Area. So prepared, an NBA source indicated this weekend, that some cordial goodbyes have been shared between Klay and high-ranking members of the Warriors’ organization.
And Paul George, the Warriors’ home run target for acquisition this offseason, wiped out the final year of his contract with the LA Clippers and became an unrestricted free agent, which basically cut off any realistic path for the Warriors because they don’t have the cap room to sign him as a free agent.
This came after very serious negotiations among the Warriors, George and the Clippers all the way through Saturday afternoon’s deadline for George’s contract decision and after the Warriors believed — several times — that they were on the verge of landing the 34-year-old small forward, team sources said.
The Warriors had agreed to give George a max, four-year extension upon arrival. They believed they had proposed several variations of a trade that the Clippers could and would accept. Stephen Curry and Draymond Green were 100 percent on board. George gave strong indications he wanted to join the Warriors. But the Clippers never agreed to any version of a trade, and now George is a free agent and essentially beyond the Warriors’ reach.
• Thompson didn’t love his experience last season and said so. Many times. He didn’t love getting moved to the bench for a few games behind Podziemski. He didn’t love the questions we asked about his future. He didn’t love the national attention on his occasional struggles, obviously including his 0-for-10 shooting night in the Play-In loss to the Sacramento Kings. He really didn’t love that the Warriors put a higher priority on figuring out how to upgrade the roster than on bringing him back this offseason.
Largely, I think Thompson didn’t love being compared with himself from another era, before his two major leg injuries, when he could guard anybody and turn any game into a personal piece of NBA shooting history. He wanted a fresh start. He’s going to get one. He’s also going to come to Chase Center with his new team and want to beat the Warriors; maybe not bitterly, maybe a bit bitterly, but it will be fun to watch.
• Thompson likely wasn’t going to be a starter if he remained with the Warriors this season. It was going to be Podziemski. Or Moody. Or somebody else. I’m not sure Thompson wanted to go through that again, and I’m guessing the Warriors wouldn’t have loved it, either. It seems like a cold conclusion to this unbelievable tenure, but it was inevitable.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5604503/2024/06/29/warriors-paul-george-klay-thompson-kawakami/
by aingenevalostatrade
17 Comments
Wasn’t a trainer doing it on social? Lol idk if this is a real scoop or just being observant.
But really though sad day for real GS fans. They should be outraged a guy that helped bring them relevance after being irrelevant for decades is being dumped like a sack of potatoes.
Lmao why are you guys downvoting this? You’re defending GS for this? This is a deplorable way to treat a legend.
Crazy how Draymond is the last guy standing with Curry even after ruining it with KD, and then Poole, who would’ve thought
He and Knecht gonna feast in a JJ ran offense
Looks like the script has been submitted and approved. A go for production.
Can the Lakers give Thompson a starting role and is it worth it?
I know signing Klay could be a bad idea but whatever… sign that man
Give him to me Pelinka!
The lakers can’t be stupid enough to do a sign and trade to give up assets for a 34 y/o washed Klay. NO WAY. I’d take him for the MLE, but the second you have to give up any consequential roster players we should be OUT.
Would he start at SF?
So he didn’t like coming off the bench and he didn’t like the media attention when he shot 0-10? How’s that going to work on the Lakers then?
“ He didn’t love getting moved to the bench for a few games behind Podziemski. He didn’t love the questions we asked about his future. He didn’t love the national attention on his occasional struggles, obviously including his 0-for-10 shooting night in the Play-In loss to the Sacramento Kings.”
As a Lakers fan this section scares me. He doesn’t know about national attention until he’s played with Lebron and the Lakers. If he couldn’t handle the Warriors there’s no way he’ll handle it with the Lakers. This will be another Westbrook situation.
Michael Thomason is gonna be a must listen on the radio if this happens tomorrow.
Can Klay teach Dalton how to be Klay Thompson?
So does that mean he expects a starting role if we sign him? Because I’m not about signing a 34 year old with two major leg injuries just to stroke his ego just because of the player he was in his past. Klay is at that crossroad in every superstars career where he needs to admit to himself that he’s not the same player, so he shouldn’t expect the same treatment.
We basically need him to be the best movement shooter on the team and not get lost on defense. If he can do that under these lights then I say go for him. But if he hasn’t come to terms with his own mortality yet and expects superstar treatment over other players that work well in the system ort situation then I would pass.
Couldn’t of happened to a more deserving fanbase. Rest in piss, tech bros
Would love to have klay. I always liked him and of course his dad. Think he’s still useful on both ends.
He’s not a good defender anymore, not a playmaker, is causing issues by not buying into a bench role and is declining? No thanks.