Klay Thompson spent this past season fighting against father time as he played out the final year of his contract with the Golden State Warriors. Thompson still shot the ball well from three-point range (38.7 percent), but it was clear he lost a step in terms of his effectiveness at both ends of the floor.
As the Warriors missed the 2024 NBA Playoffs, speculation about Thompson’s future in free agency became even more intense. With the negotiating window now open between players and their incumbent teams, it’s looking more and more like Thompson and the Warriors are heading for a split.
The Warriors do not have an offer on the table to Thompson right now ahead of NBA free agency, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Talks between the Warriors and Thompson are being described as “frozen,” likely leading to the 34-year-old testing the open market for the first time in his career.
Thompson reportedly turned down a two-year, $48 million extension from the Warriors last summer, according to NBA insider Shams Charania. That deal is apparently no longer on the table from Golden State, and it’s possible Thompson won’t see that type of money from any other suitor given the lack of teams with cap space this summer.
Right now, only the Pistons, Magic, 76ers, Jazz, Spurs, and Thunder appear to have a pathway to substantial cap space. Thompson would be a good theoretical fit for a couple of those teams, but only if they decide he’s worth their investment over younger free agents. Orlando has been rumored to have interest in Thompson, but the club reportedly only wants to offer two-year deals to free agents, per Jake Fischer of Yahoo! Sports. That wasn’t good enough for Thompson a year ago, but at this point he may have no other choice.
The Magic could also choose to spend their money on Nuggets free agent Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, according to Fischer. KCP is a few years younger than Thompson, shot the ball better from the outside the last few seasons, and has a superior defensive reputation at this point in his career.
Thompson has spend his entire career with the Warriors since being selected with the No. 11 overall pick by the franchise back in 2012. He has won four championships playing alongside Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.
It would feel so wrong to see Thompson in another uniform, but it sure looks like that’s the way it’s headed. NBA free agency opens up on June 30.