It’s just going to look wrong — seeing Klay Thompson in anything but a Golden State Warriors blue and gold jersey will feel off.
It’s also going to happen.
Not only are the Warriors and Klay Thompson not close to a deal on a contract extension, they haven’t talked in weeks and there isn’t even an offer on the table, report Shams Charania and Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Golden State turned its attention to Paul George — a deal that is not happening — and other ways to upgrade the roster around Stephen Curry. Both sides have moved on.
What is next for Thompson?
The Lakers, Clippers, and Mavericks are the teams lined up to try to lure Thompson, according to The Athletic and other reports. Thompson brings some value, the 34-year-old averaged 17.9 points a game last season while shooting 38.7% from beyond the arc. However, he’s inconsistent on offense and isn’t near the defender he used to be. At this point in his career, Thompson is a rotation player, not a star, but the teams chasing him are looking for veteran role players who will not fold in the playoffs.
The Mavericks and Lakers (while LeBron James is a free agent) can offer Thompson the non-taxpayer mid-level exception of $12.9 million, but that is well below what Thompson hoped to get on the open market. The Warriors are reportedly open to a sign-and-trade to get Thompson a better salary, but they will want something of quality in return.
Here is the bigger challenge for all these teams pursuing Thompson: bringing in a player on the mid-level exception or in a sign-and-trade hardcaps the team at the first tax apron of $178.7 million, which is a number all three of these teams were expected to eclipse otherwise.
Thompson has ties to the Lakers — his father, Mychael Thompson, is a former member of the Showtime Lakers who has rings from that era. The Lakers could offer a trade of the just opted-in D’Angelo Russell ($18.7 million), a minimum-salary player (Cam Redish or Jaxson Hayes, for example) and a first-round pick. Thompson would have to agree to a starting salary on his contract of whatever the salaries in this deal add up to.
The mid-level exception is just cleaner.
LeBron reportedly is pushing for the Lakers to sign Thompson and is willing to take a $16 million pay cut to make it happen.
If the Lakers have their guaranteed salaries on the books, plus Knecht’s salary, I have them at $49.9M under the first apron for 11 players.
Assuming they want to fill out the roster at 15, let’s add:
$12.9M for Non-Tax MLE signing
$1.1M for Bronny James on rookie minimum
$2.1M…— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) June 29, 2024
If the Lakers can’t land someone to take the MLE or make another move inside a week, they will end up giving LeBron his max ($162 million over three years). LeBron will be at USA Basketball camp in Las Vegas a week from now and wants his contract done and signed before that.
The Mavericks created room to offer the mid-level exception with the Tim Hardaway Jr. salary dump trade. They could put together a sign-and-trade as well using Josh Green, Maxi Kleber and a pick, although one wonders if the Warriors would go for that.
What the Clippers can offer depends on whether they can mend fences in their negotiations with Paul George and what happens with James Harden.
It’s not clear which jersey Thompson will wear next season. The only thing we know is that it won’t be Warriors blue and gold.