It’s up for debate how much one should read into Klay Thompson’s unfollowing of the Golde State Warriors on Instagram, but the latest report on his summer plans does not leave much ambiguity.
Thompson may ultimately re-sign to stay in the Bay Area and take his boat to games at the Chase Center, but he will test the free agent market, something Shams Charania of The Athletic re-iterated on Monday.
Klay Thompson intends to test free agency, per @ShamsCharania.
"Thompson is open to all external options in free agency coming up.”
🎥 @RunItBackFDTV pic.twitter.com/NVF5WvUp6f
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) June 17, 2024
There remains mutual interest between Thompson and the Orlando Magic, according to league sources. The Warriors have made clear they want to bring Thompson back at the right price and in the right role.
The Philadelphia 76ers, another team with cap space looking for shooting and win-now veterans, also has some interest, league sources told reporters.
Maybe this is all a negotiating tactic by Thompson, but his decision will come down to money and role. Golden State extended Draymond Green last summer and he still has three years remaining at just a little above $25 million a season — the Warriors would want Thompson and Green’s contracts to line up in terms of years, with Klay likely making a little less money. And he must be willing to come off the bench. Orlando could offer a starting two-guard role and a little more money to bring shooting and a veteran presence to a team rising in the East. It’s something to watch in the long term.
In the short term, Thompson is going to Houston this week for the Bahamian national basketball team Olympic team training camp, Charania reports. However, this is for the workout because Thompson is not expected to be cleared to play with the Bahamas in its Olympic qualifying matches. Thompson won a Gold Medal with Team USA at the 2016 Rio Olympics, so to play for another national team would require “an official release from USA Basketball and approval from FIBA,” Charania reports. That’s not happening.
The Bahamas are in an Olympic qualifying group with Spain, Lebanon, Angola, Finland (without Lauri Markkanen) and Poland. Only one team will come out of that group and head to Paris for the Olympics starting July 26.
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