NBA Rumors: Klay Thompson draws interest from Western Conference contender

Klay Thompson’s decision to bet on himself didn’t pay off. He had arguably the worst season of his NBA career, and he’s about to become a free agent for the first time.

The Golden State Warriors want to bring him back, but only at the right price. Stephen Curry talked about his importance and desire to play with him, but he may not have the final say in this.

Recently, Thompson admitted that he could leave the Warriors. And with the Orlando Magic reportedly ready to make him an offer, it seems like they won’t be the only team keeping tabs on him.

The Dallas Mavericks Could Make A Run At Klay Thompson

According to a report by Sam Amick of The Athletic, the Dallas Mavericks will also be a team to keep an eye on in his sweepstakes, as they could look to pair him with Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic:

Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors.

“There are market forces outside of their control, too, with teams such as Orlando (which has as much as $60 million in salary cap space) playing the wild-card role,” wrote Amick. “The Dallas Mavericks are worth watching as a possible suitor as well, league sources tell The Athletic.”

He May Not Settle For A Big Pay Cut

Even so, it’s not like it’s going to be easy to get him. Per the report, Grayson Allen’s contract extension has set a new bar for players in a similar role, and Thompson could ask for more than that:

“The Phoenix Suns’ decision to give Grayson Allen a four-year, $70 million extension on Monday also becomes a relevant data point, with Thompson’s camp sure to point out that a 28-year-old role player just landed a deal that pays him an average of $17.5 million annually. (This applies to Kings’ free-agent-to-be Malik Monk as well,)” added Amick.

see also

Former Warriors GM reveals how they can keep Klay Thompson

As of now, it seems like the only team that could legitimately get Thompson to take less money is the Warriors, and it’ll be interesting to see how badly they actually want him to stay.