Klay Thompson to get a 'ton of money' to leave the Warriors

• Klay Thompson will be a free agent
• The Warriors may not want or afford to keep him
• He could get a lot of money in the Eastern Conference

Klay Thompson Faces Free Agency Conundrum

The Golden State Warriors and Klay Thompson couldn’t find common ground for a contract extension in the offseason. He bet on himself and tried to prove them wrong this season, but to no avail.

Thompson struggled mightily in the first half of the campaign, and he may have cost himself a lot of money in free agency. Nonetheless, what one NBA team doesn’t want usually helps another.

According to Tim Kawakami of The Athletic, the Orlando Magic are ready to round up their roster by adding a veteran shooter, and they could offer Thompson a very lucrative deal.

The Orlando Magic Want Klay Thompson Badly

“One of the worst-kept secrets in the league is that Orlando, loaded with young talent but not with shooters, might offer Klay a ton of money next summer,” wrote Kawakami. “Meanwhile, Joe Lacob has said the Warriors want to get all the way out of the luxury tax next summer, which is possible, but only if they are very disciplined about how much they’re willing to pay to keep Klay (and/or CP3).”

Thompson has talked about his desire to be a Warrior for life, and he even hinted at taking a lesser deal to do so. Then again, everything could change depending on how much money the Magic are willing to offer him.

The Warriors Might Not Value Him Enough At This Point

“Put bluntly, Klay is the only one of the big three who might end up more valuable to another team than what the Warriors want to pay him,” added Kawakami. “The more durable he continues to be, the larger the contract he deserves. The Warriors should absolutely try to bring him back, and not just as a sentimental gesture.”

The Warriors want to compete for another championship with Stephen Curry still at the helm, so as much as they value their dynasty core, they know they can’t commit a lot of long-term money to aging players, such as Thompson.

It’s not usual to see players play their entire career with the same team anymore, and it would be weird to watch him suit up for the Magic or anybody else. But this is a business, and every penny counts.