NBA News: Giannis’ deal, Heat deny rumors, Klay’s last year with GSW?
By Cal Durrett
NBA News: Is this Klay Thompson’s last season with the Warriors?
According to Athletics Shams Charania, Golden State Warriors star and four-time NBA champion Klay Thompson could hit free agency for the first time in his 13-year career next summer.
Reporting on @RunItBackFDTV: There's a significant gap in extension negotiations for Golden State and Klay Thompson, league sources say, as current signs point to the four-time champion going into 2024 free agency. pic.twitter.com/0U0wSXo0hR
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 23, 2023
This comes after he and the Warriors failed to come to an agreement on a contract extension. The breakdown of those negotiations now means that Thompson will be in a contract year and could leave the team next summer.
That development is all the more surprising since the Warriors agreed to contracts with Jordan Poole, who was later traded, Andrew Wiggins, and later Draymond Green. Not being able to agree to an extension with their second-best player is certainly an unexpected development and could dramatically affect their team this season and going forward. While Thompson is entering his age-33 season, he had one of the best seasons of his career last year, proving that he can still play.
Despite that, he missed two full seasons and half of a third prior to that and the Warriors may be hesitant to sign a 33-year-old to a major long-term deal as a result. Still, it’s hard to imagine Thompson playing for another team so late in his career but it has happened plenty of times before with other stars.
Hopefully, Thompson and the Warriors will find some middle ground on a new deal so that he can end his career with Golden State.