Has Klay Thompson played his last game for the Golden State Warriors?
It seems hard to fathom that Thompson — a five-time All-Star and fixture of the NBA’s greatest modern dynasty — could leave the team that drafted him No. 11 overall back in 2011. But the 34-year-old guard is set to become a free agent this summer following his worst season in a decade.
After scoring zero points in 32 minutes in the Warriors’ 118-94 loss to the Sacramento Kings in the Play-In Tournament, Thompson was equal parts nostalgic and dismissive about the potential end of his Golden State tenure:
Here are Klay Thompson’s free agency related answers today
“What’s up with y’all not wanting to live in the present? Ridiculous.”
“Well, considering it’s April 17th, I don’t have to pivot that quickly. When’s free agency? July 1st? I got some time.” pic.twitter.com/G7FFlefdnL
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) April 17, 2024
Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium has reported for months that Thompson and the Warriors don’t see eye-to-eye on a potential extension, and all signs point to the former All-NBA guard testing the market in free agency.
If he does, here are five potential destinations for Thompson as we look ahead to NBA free agency.
Orlando Magic
The Magic were a hot name for Thompson even before his season officially ended, as he’d be a hand-in-glove fit for one of the youngest teams in the NBA.
Orlando ranked in the bottom 10 in just about every scoring metric this season — including dead last in made 3s per game — but featured one of the league’s best defenses with size and athleticism galore. While he’s clearly lost a step on that end, Thompson (6-foot-6) would be a natural fit along the perimeter and would presumably have a green light to shoot at will into the twilight of his career.
Also, the Magic project to have as much as $ 60 million in cap space, and they won more games (47) than the Warriors (46) in 2023-24. There’s a reason Orlando is the unofficial betting favorite at some offshore sportsbooks. It doesn’t hurt that Florida has no income tax, either.
Dallas Mavericks
Shortly after the Warriors’ play-in loss on Tuesday, The Athletic’s Sam Amick reported that the Mavericks were “worth watching” as a potential landing spot for Thompson.
That shouldn’t surprise anyone who’s followed this team over the years, as Dallas owner Mark Cuban has long coveted big names in free agency and is always in pursuit of elite offensive talent to complement superstar Luka Doncic.
The biggest question here is logistics. It seems unlikely that the Mavericks could clear enough cap space to outright sign Thompson — who could command between $ 20-25 million annually — so they’d have to get the Warriors to play ball on a potential sign-and-trade.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Eight years ago, Thompson ripped the Thunder’s heart out in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals, which eventually led franchise icon Kevin Durant to leave for Golden State a month later in the 2016 offseason.
Could Oklahoma City compel Thompson to switch sides this summer? The Thunder should be able to generate upwards of $ 35 million in cap space to bolster a core of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams.
What this team really needs is outside shooting, which is the central draw of signing Thompson. There may be better uses for OKC’s cap space, but keep an eye on this pairing.
Los Angeles Lakers
Anytime Thompson is available, you can always expect to see the Lakers — where his father, Mychal Thompson, played from 1987 to 1991 — floated as a possible destination.
From a strictly basketball perspective, there’s some logic to it. Los Angeles ranked 24th in made 3-pointers per game (11.8) this past season, and more than 25% of that production came from D’Angelo Russell, who has an $ 18.7 million player option for 2024-25.
Even if he opts out, the Lakers still wouldn’t have enough cap space to sign Thompson, so this would likely require a sign-and-trade. Still, don’t rule this out entirely.
Golden State Warriors
As recently as a few weeks ago, Thompson said he wanted to be a “Warrior for life.” General manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. and head coach Steve Kerr have both expressed the same sentiment in the days since the season ended.
That certainly wasn’t the vibe of Thompson’s season-ending press conference, though, when he said it was “up to them” whether he returns and that it was “all gravy” regardless of his free-agency outcome.
That came hours after he said he wouldn’t be “salty” about his Warriors tenure if it ends this summer:
Klay Thompson isn’t concerned about his upcoming free agency/potential last game as a Warrior
“Nah. That’s life, man. Had so much success here not gonna let whatever happens in the future make me salty about what I’ve been able to accomplish in a Warriors uniform.” pic.twitter.com/acCtAP7CYC
— KNBR (@KNBR) April 16, 2024
Emotions aside, the Warrior’ salary commitments for next season ($ 174 million) already exceed the first luxury tax threshold ($ 171.3 million), and re-signing Thompson would likely bring this team over the “second apron” of $ 189.6 million.
Is it worth paying a historic luxury tax bill to retain Thompson after his dud to close the season? In the end, a reunion still feels like the likeliest outcome given Golden State’s commitment over the years to its core trio, but don’t be shocked if Warriors ownership opts for practicality over sentimentality.
