Five-time Golden State Warriors All-Star wing Klay Thompson is now expected to depart the club in free agency this summer, according to Shams Charania and Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
Per The Athletic, Golden State had been hoping to “circle back” to working out a deal with Thompson after tending to other offseason items, a curious operational plan considering Thompson’s tenure and value to the franchise across the four championships it won from 2014-22. Charania and Slater report that Thompson and the Warriors haven’t been in touch despite having a two-week window to negotiate before the general start of free agency.
Before his career-altering Achilles and ACL tears, the 6-foot-6 shooting guard/small forward out of Washington State had been one of the most unstoppable catch-and-shoot forces in the league. In combination with two-time MVP backcourt mate Stephen Curry, Thompson comprised a seemingly unstoppable dynamic duo on the hardwood, colloquially known as the “Splash Brothers.”
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Last year, the 34-year-old regressed enough defensively that head coach Steve Kerr experimented with using him as a reserve for the first time since his rookie season in 2011-12. Thompson remains a solid shooter off the catch, though he lacks the lateral quickness that made him an All-Defensive standout in his prime.
In 2023-24, Thompson averaged 17.9 points on a .432/.387/.927 slash line, plus 3.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.6 steals, and 0.5 blocks a night, across 77 contests (including 63 starts).
With or without Thompson’s services, it’s pretty clear that Golden State needs to make some major changes if it hopes to compete for Stephen Curry’s fifth championship this offseason. Last season, the Warriors finished with a 46-36 record and the Western Conference’s No. 10 seed and failed to win even its first play-in tournament game, missing the playoffs entirely.
Among the clubs expected to be on the hunt for his services, both of Thompson’s hometown squads in Los Angeles, the Lakers and Clippers, are expected to be on the hunt for his services in free agency, as are the reigning West champion Dallas Mavericks. The Athletic notes that teams with more cap space than the aforementioned clubs (which could all carve out non-taxpayer mid-level exceptions) might also be in play for Thompson.
Per Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times, Thompson plans to at least chat with the Lakers and Mavericks.
With Thompson and another former All-Star in Chris Paul now expected to leave the Warriors, Golden State will have a non-taxpayer’s midlevel exception of its own to use. Sources tell Buha and Slater that Golden State is amenable to facilitating a sign-and-trade to offload Thompson.
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