It seems less likely by the day that Klay Thompson will make it back to the one NBA home he has ever known. Paul George is open to potentially be courted by two Western Conference contenders in free agency, but the Golden State Warriors are still trying to figure out how to acquire him. He can be seen as an important roster addition for the Dallas Mavericks and Denver Nuggets.
Although Thompson’s market value is unknown, his shooting prowess should draw some interest. The five-time All-Star nevertheless managed a hazardous 38.7 percent 3-point shooting percentage in what was largely regarded as a subpar year. He can be a compelling additional scoring option for those that want to advance.
The Philadelphia 76ers and Orlando Magic, two teams with a lot of money to spend, have previously been mentioned as possible destinations, and it looks like more teams are becoming interested. The Nuggets are considering backup plans in case their most valuable player decides to join a different team.
The Athletic’s Sam Amick and Anthony Slater wrote that “a league source said Denver has pegged Thompson as a possible replacement if the Nuggets lose free-agent-to-be Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who has decided to decline his player option and enter the market.”
After winning the West in the previous postseason, Dallas is likewise eager to strengthen its roster. According to its most recent move, the front management appears to be acutely aware that staying in the fight is not a given in this demanding conference. The Mavericks might be after them.
NBA correspondent Marc Stein stated in his substack that the Mavericks’ top priority for the offseason is to improve their outside shooting after they made their third trip to the NBA Finals in franchise history.
It appears that Klay Thompson is edging farther away from the Warriors.Golden State keeps saying that they want to sign Thompson again. He is deeply ingrained in the history of the Warriors and intimately connected to Draymond Green, Steve Kerr, Splash Brother Stephen Curry, and head coach. The San Francisco Bay Area and the organization would suffer greatly if he were to leave.
In the hopes that a new contract will be signed before Thompson is picked up by the 76ers, Magic, Nuggets, Mavericks, or another surprise candidate, Kerr refuses to accept that fact.
The future Hall of Fame coach told Jim Rome earlier in the week, “I want him back badly.” “We truly want him back, but he has to make the decision, and we will have our chats. Klay Thompson is he.
In his 11 seasons with the Warriors, Thompson has averaged 19.6 points while shooting 45.3 percent from the field and 41.3 percent from beyond the arc. Over that time, he has given supporters a lot of thrills and memories while persevering through two terrible injuries and managing a lighter offensive workload in 2023–2024. It’s hard to believe the 2011 first-round draft pick is wearing a different jersey, even with some of the recent upheaval.
But that terrible process has already started in large parts of Dubs Nation. It’s possible that a change might be advantageous to Klay Thompson and the Warriors alike. This might be the price paid to put Golden State back in the running for the championship and the new beginning that gives No. 11 a new lease on life.
Alternatively, perhaps the front desk will figure out a method to maintain the Thompson-Bay Area romance. But if the Nuggets and Mavericks want to go after the all-time great shooter head-on, it won’t be simple.