NBA: Former Warriors GM reveals how they can keep Klay Thompson

Klay Thompson closed out the season — and possibly his tenure with the Golden State Warriors — with arguably the worst game of his NBA career. He went scoreless in ten shots, and there are some big questions looming large now.

He’s going to be a free agent for the first time in his career. Betting on himself may not have paid off in the way he wanted to, as he’s not the same player he used to be.

Nonetheless, Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Steve Kerr still want him to stay in the Bay area. With that in mind, former GM Bob Myers revealed that the Warriors will need to make him feel appreciated.

Klay Needs To Feel Appreciated, Says Bob Myers

“Klay will stay if he feels like he’s been appreciated and paid what is appropriate,” Myers said on ESPN. “But if he’s not, that’s the question. It’s always kind of a pride component, because it’s not money. People will say, ‘Well Klay Thompson has made all this money.’ Fine. But you know what? There’s a pride component to it for any professional athlete. So it’s not just the money. He doesn’t need any more money for the rest of his life. That’s not the point though. If somebody comes along and doubles the Warriors’ offer, things might change.”

The Warriors Need To Make Moves

Even if Thompson wasn’t at his best this season, and particularly in their loss to the Sacramento Kings, their issues run way deeper than this. That’s why Myers believes his successor, Mike Dunleavy Jr, has a tough job ahead of him:

“What do the Warriors do? It’s not just about Klay Thompson, that’s the hard question,” Myers said. “We’re talking about Klay Thompson but there’s other things to be answered. Because you bring this team back, and Klay Thompson comes back, this is not an ending to what we saw was a healthy team that’s acceptable for Joe Lacob and that payroll.”