The Golden State Warriors' season-ending 118-94 loss to the Sacramento Kings in the play-in tournament felt like the end of an era in multiple ways. That was especially the case for Klay Thompson, who endured perhaps the worst game of his professional career. He put up a donut on the scoring column, scoring zero points while missing all 10 of his attempts from the field. But the Orlando Magic may yet come calling for him in free agency.
According to BetOnline's odds, the Magic stand out as the favorite to get Thompson's signature, with their odds to do so being set at +300 at the moment. Rounding out the top five of potential Thompson suitors are the San Antonio Spurs (+600), Oklahoma City Thunder (+600), Philadelphia 76ers (+700), and Detroit Pistons (+800).
The Los Angeles Lakers, a team long rumored to be keeping an eye on Klay Thompson, are a long shot to sign the Warriors sniper; their odds are set at +2000.
Cursory analysis of Klay Thompson's fit with the Magic
The Magic have arrived; led by a bright young core of Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, and Jalen Suggs, the Magic have embraced a hard-nosed, defensive identity. They have a roster full of athletic young guys who can be disruptive on the perimeter, not to mention arguably the best defender in today's NBA in Jonathan Isaac. It was no surprise to see them finish with the third-best defense in the NBA, allowing just 110.8 points per 100 possessions en route to a 47-win season.
However, scoring the basketball became an adventure at times for the Magic. Banchero and Wagner are talented, but even the most brilliant scorers in the league needs space to operate. The Magic finished dead last in the league in 3-point makes on the season, with 903. They shot the second-fewest attempts from deep per game last season, only above the Denver Nuggets. They finished 23rd in three-point percentage.
It's clear that the Magic are in dire need of better floor-spacing, and what better way to remedy that problem by signing one of the greatest shooters of all time in Klay Thompson?
It might be trendy to rag on Thompson for his struggles in recent times, but he remains a high-volume 3-point shooter who makes deep shots at an above-average clip. He made a total of 268 threes last season at a 38.7 percent clip, output that dwarves everyone else's on the Magic roster.
The fit on the court is seamless; the question now is whether or not the Warriors will be willing to let Thompson go and whether Thompson will find the financial benefit of leaving Golden State to be worth it.
Warriors to break up the band?
Klay Thompson could not have picked the worst time of his career to put up such a stinker; he is entering free agency, and at this point, it's not quite clear how much the Warriors are willing to spend to keep him in town. Other teams won't make it easy for Golden State to do so anyway. For all of the 34-year old shooting guard's warts, he remains one of the best volume three-point shooters in the association — a helpful player to have for a contending team.
Prior to the start of the 2023-24 season, the Warriors offered Thompson a two-year, $48 million extension, which the veteran shooting guard promptly rejected. Thompson believes he is worth more, especially given his importance to the franchise, but Golden State is staring at the face of a huge luxury-tax bill, and it's not quite clear at the moment how willing ownership is to splurge on a middling team.
Thompson doesn't seem like the guy to take a pay cut, and other teams such as the Magic can fashion the cap space to potentially give the 34-year old the contract he wants. Thus, do not be surprised if Thompson has already played his last game as a Warrior.
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