After tearing his ACL in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals, Klay Thompson must now make arguably the biggest decision of his professional basketball career this offseason.
Thompson is slated to hit free agency this summer, and though Thompson has always expressed full interest in remaining with Golden State, this doesn’t mean he won’t do his due diligence with other potential suitors once free agency begins. According to LA Times’ Brad Turner, Thompson will “listen” to both the Los Angeles Clippers and Lakers if the Warriors don’t offer him a max contract the day free agency begins on June 30.
Sources: If the Warriors don’t offer guard Klay Thompson a max $190 million deal on Sunday when free agency opens, he will listen to both LA teams, the Lakers and Clippers. Lakers back in the runnings because they now have max slot of $32 million after today’s trade.
— Brad Turner (@BA_Turner) June 28, 2019
The Warriors know how important Klay Thompson is to their franchise, so it remains very likely that he ultimately receives the max contract he is seeking from Golden State. There may be some hesitation from their end due to his torn ACL, but Thompson is simply too valuable of a player to let leave, especially if Kevin Durant is on his way out as well.
That’s what makes the contract decision around Klay Thompson so intriguing; not only is he on the shelf for a year or so, but so is his teammate Durant who’s contract is also expiring. Both are undoubtedly max-worthy players, but it remains to be seen whether Golden State wants to toss that type of money at two players that may not be available for at least the next 9-12 months.
Still though, it’s hard to envision a scenario in which Golden State doesn’t bring Thompson back but Durant is another story. Thompson has been one of Golden State’s foundational pieces since the beginning of their dynasty, making it an obvious choice for the Warriors to max him.
His two backup options are interesting though, and both are solid fits that have a chance to contend even though he’d be out for almost all of next season. Thompson should be one of the first names to re-sign with his club once free agency begins but if there is some sort of hesitation on Golden State’s end, don’t be surprised if Thompson begins to entertain his other suitors.
