The likelihood of Klay Thompson returning to the only NBA home he has ever known is seemingly becoming more precarious by the day. While the Golden State Warriors try to figure out how to acquire Paul George, two Western Conference contenders are now open to possibly courting the four-time NBA champion in free agency. The Denver Nuggets and Dallas Mavericks may view him as a valuable roster piece.
It is unclear what Thompson's market value will be, but his marksmanship should net him some suitors. In what was widely considered a down year, the five-time All-Star still shot a dangerous 38.7 percent from behind the 3-point line last season. He can be an intriguing supplementary scoring option for those looking to take the next step.
Teams with money to burn like the Philadelphia 76ers and Orlando Magic have already been identified as potential landing spots, and now the list of interested franchises appears to be growing. The Nuggets are looking at contingency plans in the event that arguably their most important role player jumps to another squad.
“If the Nuggets lose free-agent-to-be Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who has decided to decline his player option and enter the market, a league source said Denver has pegged Thompson as a possible replacement,” The Athletic's Sam Amick and Anthony Slater reported.
Dallas is also motivated to shore up its roster after winning the West this past postseason. Remaining in the fray is not a guarantee in this grueling conference, a fact that the front office seems keenly aware of based on its latest trade. The Mavs could be on the hunt.
“Improving their outside shooting, meanwhile, is one of the Mavericks' offseason priorities after they made the third trip in franchise history to the NBA Finals,” NBA correspondent Marc Stein wrote in his substack.
Klay Thompson might be slipping further out of Warriors' grasp
Golden State continues to reiterate its goal of re-signing Thompson. He is entrenched in Warriors franchise history and inextricably linked to Splash Brother Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and head coach Steve Kerr. His potential exit would be challenging for the organization and painful for the San Francisco Bay Area.
Kerr does not want to accept that reality and is holding out hope that a new deal is inked before Thompson gets scooped up by the 76ers, Magic, Nuggets, Mavericks or another surprise candidate.
“I want him back desperately,” the future Hall of Fame coach told Jim Rome earlier in the week. “We will have our conversations, and he's got to make whatever decision he makes, but we really want him back. He's Klay Thompson.”
Thompson has averaged 19.6 points while shooting 45.3 percent from the field and 41.3 percent from distance in 11 seasons with the Warriors. He has provided fans with many memories and thrills during that span, pushing his way through two devastating injuries and handling a lesser workload on offense in 2023-24. Despite some of the recent turbulence, seeing the 2011 first-round draft pick in a different jersey is so strange to fathom.
But much of Dubs Nation has already begun that unpleasant process. There is a chance that both the Warriors and Klay Thompson benefit from a change. This could be the sacrifice needed to launch Golden State back into title contention, and the fresh start that rejuvenates No. 11's career.
Or, maybe the front office will find a way to keep the Thompson-Bay Area love affair going strong. That will not be easy, though, if the Nuggets and Mavericks decide to aggressively pursue the all-time great shooter.
Follow Us
Subscribe