The Golden State Warriors appear to have reached the end of an era with Klay Thompson.
The Warriors and Thompson expect to part ways in free agency, according to Shams Charania and Anthony Slater of The Athletic. The two sides have had virtually no communication over the last two weeks, and Thompson is not interested in waiting out the initial wave of free agency to see if the organization will circle back to him.
As such, both sides are accepting of the reality that their relationship has likely run its course, with Thompson ready to consider other teams. Similarly, the Warriors are willing to help facilitate a sign-and-trade move if necessary in order to maximize Thompson’s earnings elsewhere.
The Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, and Dallas Mavericks are among the teams that are expected to have interest in Thompson. The Lakers are a particularly intriguing possibility, as Thompson’s father Mychal was a player for the team during the Showtime era and remains the team’s radio color commentator. The Lakers could make the numbers work, as LeBron James has made it clear that he would structure his next contract in a way that would allow the Lakers to add a significant piece. Marc Stein reported Saturday that James is “hopeful” the Lakers can outbid the Mavericks for Thompson.
As we've been reporting for 24-plus hours: Klay Thompson's departure from the Golden State Warriors looks increasingly imminent … with LeBron James hopeful, per league sources today, that the Lakers can mount a bid to challenge Dallas.
Friday's story: https://t.co/DWazVDdDH0 https://t.co/EMl6EssNh0
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 29, 2024
The situation between Thompson and the Warriors had seemingly been trending this way for a while. Even so, it will be a real shock to see one of the cornerstones of the team’s dynasty playing for another team next season.
