Long-time Golden State Warriors guard and four-time NBA Champion Klay Thompson could be on the move this summer. According to The Athletic and The Stadium’s Shams Charania, Thompson and the up-and-coming Orlando Magic have ‘mutual interest’ entering NBA free agency.
Charania reported Monday on FanDuel’s Run It Back.
The Magic have money to spend this offseason, and they plan to use it wisely. Per Spotrac, the Magic can create as much as $58.2 million in salary cap space, which is more than enough to acquire a max contract-type player. Thompson may not be that type of player anymore at 34 years old and with a pair of serious lower body injuries, including a torn ACL and Achilles tear. However, Thompson has an ability the Magic desperately needs: his shooting ability.
Orlando has a young, budding superstar in the making: their 2022 No. 1 overall pick, Paolo Banchero. Outside of that, it’s a bunch of hit-or-miss youngsters with no shooting. With the amount of money they hold and some shooting on the market, Klay will be a prime candidate for the Magic.
The Magic earned the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference before getting bounced in the first round in seven games against the No. 4 seed Cleveland Cavaliers.
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The Magic’s biggest issue on offense was their three-point shooting or lack thereof. They averaged the fewest three-point makes per game (11.0) and ranked 24th in three-point percentage. Acquiring Thompson may not fix all their problems, as there are question marks about whether he can still be the type of player the Magic needs.
This season, it was clear Thompson was not the same player we’d come to know. In 77 games in 2023-24, the California native averaged 17.9 points per game on, 43.2 percent from the field, and 38.7 percent from three while averaging 3.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists. His shooting from behind the arc was his lowest since returning from injury in 2021-22. In 32 games, he shot 38.5 percent as he was still recovering from his Achilles injury. Beyond that, he’s shot over 40 percent in his career from three-point land.
It’ll be hard to see Thompson not wearing a Warriors jersey. He’s spent his entire 13-year career (11 playing years) in the Bay Area. Thompson is part of possibly one of the best dynasties we’ve ever seen and has had one heck of a career. As a Warrior, he’s been selected to five NBA All-Star games, two-time All-NBA Third Team, NBA All-Defensive Second Team, and the 2016 NBA Three-Point Contest champion.
The chatter surrounding the end of the big three for the Warriors with Thompson, Stephen Curry, and Draymond Green has already surfaced. It’s unclear how the Warriors front office will approach Thompson this offseason. Nonetheless, there’s serious doubt on if they will all return to Golden State in 2024-25.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.