NBA Rumors: Klay Thompson Will Test Free Agency But ‘Basketball Nirvana’ Would Pull Him Back to Warriors, Claims Bay Area Veteran

Klay Thompson looking to hit the free agency is nothing but a ruse. At least that’s what a Bay Area veteran journalist believes is the case. But all those Warriors fans would love nothing more than for it to be the truth. Many were sure he would be traded at the deadline if the Dubs wanted to make the best of their postseason. Of course, that went with nary a sound.

The Dubs finished 10th in the West and lost 94-118 to the Kings. Since then, Klay Thompson trade rumors have been flying all over the Internet. However, Matt Steinmetz, the host of Steiny & Guru, doesn’t think they deserve much credit.

“I feel like Klay Thompson will test free agency and return to Golden State… Is he REALLY going to spend his last couple years in Orlando? I don’t buy that being basketball nirvana for him.”

Steiny might have a point. When he accepted the Sixth Man role with the Golden State, Thompson admitted that he was willing to do whatever the team needed of him, if that meant he could retire a Warrior. The 5x All-Star went as far as saying that he was embodying Manu Ginóbili. “I thought about Manu Ginobli, that guy has four rings and gold medal, and he came off the bench his whole career, and I don’t think anyone looks down on his Hall of Fame candidacy,” Klay said after the February 15th win vs Utah.

While this was all well and good, the question remained. Would he or would he not?

The Warriors are Klay Thompson’s comfort zone

The Splash Brother arrived in the Golden State at the age of 21. Drafted as the 11th pick, the world saw the Washington State product grow to one of the greatest three-point shooters of all time. And he did so alongside some of the top NBA names. Of course, the best of them were his teammates and close friends for the entire part of his time with the Warriors dynasty. Everything went well until the ACL tear in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals.

The rest of the period until 2022 was a terrible period for the 4x champion. Thompson suffered an Achilles tendon during a pickup game in 2020. He had just returned after the surgery and rehab, only to miss the next season once again. Klay hasn’t been the same since, with the worst season being 2023-24. The man struggled with draining shots, Kerr didn’t close with him, as was the norm, was relegated to the bench towards the end of the season, and the like.

Nevertheless, as we saw above, he embraced the change. Towards the end of the season, Klay Thompson was playing more like his elite forward-guard that he was. Of course, it was not the same as Prime Klay. Yet it was better than what the crowd saw from him all season long. The problem arose when the Dubs’ front office and the 34-year-old couldn’t agree to his contract.

Draymond Green’s comment about Thompson’s contract extension after the ACL tear also seemed to have ruffled some feathers. In a recent episode of 95.7 The Game, one of the hosts believed that Klay “took offense” as it was considered a “taboo” to talk about one’s contract and injuries. While it is true that the California native would love to stay back, it seems like there could be a few defining factors for it to happen.

Hopefully, they figure it out sooner rather than later!

But before you go, be sure to check this video of Leonardo Armato’s take on Caitlin Clark vs Angel Reese.

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