SUMMARY
- Klay Thompson's future with the Golden State Warriors has been in major doubt.
- The 4x NBA champion is yet to sign a contract, and will become a free agent later this year.
Klay Thompson has undoubtedly been a strong pillar for the Golden State Warriors in the last few years. Along with Steph Curry and Draymond Green, Klay has formed a formidable big three that has led The Dubs to four championships. These include three titles against the legendary LeBron James as well. The Warriors have seen an unfortunate form dip in Klay and Draymond.
But the sharpshooter’s performances have been harder to ignore, as Green continues to show glimpses of his former self from time to time. But Klay, on the other hand, has admittedly been pretty inconsistent in the last two years. This has placed his Warriors future in some major doubt. For some context, the guard is still yet to sign a new contract with the team.
Klay Thompson acknowledges that his career is approaching its conclusion and he does not intend to play until the age of 40
“I would love to be a Warrior for life. Whatever happens though, I’ve got a few more years to play this game, so I’m gonna enjoy every second. I realize… pic.twitter.com/jRlPK92u2f
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 27, 2024
Recently, Klay spoke about his intentions with the Warriors franchise. He said to The Athletic, “I would love to be a Warrior for life. Whatever happens though, I’ve got a few more years to play this game, so I’m gonna enjoy every second. I realize that I see light at the end of the tunnel, (and) I’m not sure if I want to play until I’m 40, man. That sounds really exhausting.”
It seems like even Klay is unsure of whether he would stay with the Warriors, as his comment ‘whatever happens’ suggests. The player will be a free agent this year after his current contract runs out.
Orlando Magic are rumored to be interested if Klay Thompson leaves Warriors
There have been rumors mentioning that the Orlando Magic might be interested in welcoming Klay if his Warriors tenure comes to an end. Paolo Banchero, the young star, currently leads the Magic team. He is the leader in scoring, assists, and rebounds as well. Klay’s arrival could surely lift some pressure off Banchero.
The Orlando Magic have been “increasingly mentioned” as a potential suitor for Klay Thompson 👀
(via @TheSteinLine) pic.twitter.com/DsJxoijS1Y
— Basketball Forever (@bballforever_) February 20, 2024
Moreover, the Magic would perform a lot better with one of the greatest shooters of all time as well. Klay is still shooting 37.2% from the three-point line and has an FG% of 41.8 despite popular belief that he has been having a mediocre season this year.
Has Klay risen from the ashes after being benched?
Steve Kerr made a surprising decision to bench Klay when facing the Utah Jazz on February 15. The superstar answered back in style by scoring 35 points that night, despite coming off the bench. But he failed to live up to the expectations he set for himself in the next game against the Los Angeles Lakers. The Dubs got the win, but Klay managed to score only 3 points in 28 minutes.
In the following two games against the Charlotte Hornets and Denver Nuggets, Thompson made 13 and 23 points respectively. This has been the main reason for his downfall. Klay’s inconsistency has reportedly led the Warriors to look for other options, but it is still clear whether they would keep him. The franchise has surprised the world in the past, and it wouldn’t be a huge shock if they decided to give Klay another year or two.