The Golden State Warriors are preparing to lose four-time NBA champion Klay Thompson in free agency, league sources said, an expected parting of ways between a legendary dynasty and one of its longtime players. The athlete.
Thompson and the Warriors have had little contact since the negotiating period opened for current free agents nearly two weeks ago and no offer has been made, team and league sources said. The Warriors, after other business, wanted to return and negotiate with Thompson. But he is not expected to be a secondary priority in their summer plan, with his team feeling the Warriors’ interest in a reunion was disingenuous. League sources said the five-time All-Star guard is determined to find a new home elsewhere for his 14th NBA season and beyond, with both sides believing their 13-year career together is over.
The Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers and Dallas Mavericks are expected to be among Thompson’s strong contenders, according to league sources. Multiple teams with salary cap space are expected to show interest in Thompson as well. By offloading Tim Hardaway Jr.’s salary, the Mavericks have already created enough cap space to offer their full projected mid-level $12.9 million hit the market. The Lakers have the potential to do the same, depending on where the next LeBron James trade and other business goes.
Golden State is in the market as a non-taxpaying mid-level exception team for the first time in nearly a decade due to Thompson’s expected departure and the potential departure of Chris Paul’s $30 million non-guaranteed deal, league sources said, which results in a loss. $73.2 million off its books.
The Warriors are open to participating in a sign-and-trade with Thompson to help with his earning potential, sources said.
The split is quite striking around the league, given the deep history between the Warriors and Thompson, but it has been trending in this direction for several seasons, as Thompson extension talks stalled, his role changed, and the team failed to make the playoffs. League sources said the Warriors drafted (Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski) and extended (Jordan Poole) potential replacements under him and never felt the love of reciprocity from management about his fixed place in the franchise’s plans.
This continued until last summer. The Warriors have expressed their desire to keep Thompson as part of the starting lineup, but they made it clear that this must be done at the right price and in the right role, and that he must wait until the right time.
Desperate to upgrade the talent of an underperforming supporting cast around Stephen Curry, they have spent the last two weeks actively exploring the trade market, including an unlikely run at free-agent-to-be Paul George, which is the team’s pursuit. Now known as dead.
Thompson, feeling the cold winds blowing from the only franchise he had ever known, reciprocated, limiting communication and planning for the future of the NBA outside the Bay Area.
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