NBA
Reports now suggest that Golden State expect to re-sign Klay Thompson this summer
The 2023/24 NBA campaign has been a strange one for Klay Thompson, who was underperforming at the start of the season but has slowly been returning to his old self as games go by. At one point, it had been reported that the player decided not to sign a new contract with the Warriors during the summer, while other sources insist that it was the team that never made the offer.
In a recent report by NBA insider Michael Scotto, he reveals that the Golden State organization expects to re-sign Thompson during this upcoming offseason. Klay is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, and the journalist explained the reasons behind this decision to offer the shooting guard a new deal.
“Golden State and Klay Thompson spoke at the beginning of the year, and a deal didn’t get done, so both sides felt it was best to push it off until the end of the season,” Scotto shared on his podcast. “He’s been through the free agency process before, and he stayed. The Warriors want him back, and Thompson seems like he wants to be back.”
Reporting on the Jonathan Kuminga, Andrew Wiggins and Chris Paul trade markets. Plus, Steph Curry, Steve Kerr’s future, Klay Thompson’s free agency, Draymond Green, Dejan Milojevic and Jordan Poole with Warriors writer @anthonyVslater on the @hoopshype pod https://t.co/BjT4SOe9hd
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) January 26, 2024
The veteran has said many times before that he wishes to play his entire career with the Bay Area club, as the future Hall of Famer has been an essential part of the team that brought four championships to the franchise.
Even though the five-time All-Star’s stats have dropped a little this campaign, he’s still been contributing with averages of 17.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.5 steals and 0.5 blocks this season while shooting 42.1% from field goals, 38.5% from the three-point line and 91.0% from free-throws.
The problem is that the Warriors are sitting in 12th place of the Western Conference’s standings with a poor 19-24 record, which means that up to this point they wouldn’t even make it to the Play-In Tournament.
At the start of the competition, the shooting guard revealed how Steve Kerr has helped him return to his best form. “You want to get back to that level so badly you can kind of get in your own way. Rather than forcing it, we had a conversation about enjoying the last chapter of my career, how lucky I truly am to still be playing this game, doing it at a high level, being a better mentor for these young guys, leading by example, having my energy right every game,” Klay explained.
Thompson insists that the team will remain ‘optimistic’ despite the ‘heartbreaking losses’ so far this season
The Warriors and Lakers produced one of the most exciting games of the year this weekend, as they took it all the way into a double-overtime exhibition at the Chase Center. Unfortunately for the Bay Area team, the purple and gold took home the victory by a score of 145-144.
Klay, who finished his evening with 24 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists, stated that the team will remain optimistic until the end. “A lot of games have stung this year. We’ve had a lot of heartbreaking losses. But I’m gonna continue to be optimistic along with Steve. It’s a long season, so we know that we can be even better. No need to get discouraged with plenty of basketball left,” he said.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Y5OaJxQvKk
Once the game was over, Thompson dedicated praise to LeBron James‘ leadership, as he believes the 39-year-old is setting an example for NBA athletes in their old age.
“Credit to LeBron for what he’s doing at his age. I mean, that guy is a freak of nature in terms of his ability to play at this level for so long. Same with Steph,” shared the Warriors guard. “When you’re younger, you don’t ever really think that basketball will stop because it’s what you love. It’s all you do. But when you get to your 30s, you realize there’s an end point to being an athlete.”