Former Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson is set to be on the trade market this offseason, but a reunion with the franchise legend doesn't make much sense given he's still owed $17.5 million on the final year of his contract.
That's unless Thompson is actually bought out and becomes a free agent, with that possibility certainly bound to surge if he joined a rebuilding team as has been proposed in a recent mock trade from Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.
Klay Thompson trade idea could eventually lead to Warriors reunion
Siegel has suggested a three-team deal between the Dallas Mavericks, Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics that largely centers around Michael Porter Jr. teaming up with Cooper Flagg, Kryie Irving and company.
The deal also includes multiple other players though, including Thompson heading to the Nets in what would be a fairly underwhelming outcome for the 36-year-old were he to actually remain there.
"Klay Thompson and Sam Hauser would be two veteran leaders for the Nets who can set the tone from the perimeter. Maybe there is another deal to be had here with Thompson in the final year of his contract," Siegel wrote.
The good news for Thompson is that it's hard to envisage him remaining in Brooklyn for very long. They could look for another trade as Siegel suggests, or they could just do the 5x All-Star a favor, buy him out, and let him join a team of his own choosing in free agency.
This is really the only scenario where a Thompson-Golden State reunion makes sense, and even then there's question marks on whether it's something player and franchise would truly want after only parting ways two years ago.
Klay Thompson could still provide rotation help to Warriors
Perhaps now is a better time than any because Thompson could still provide assistant to a Warrior team that's trying to remain competitive. While he'd almost assuredly only be a reserve, his humbling demotion this season at the Mavericks means that shouldn't be as much of an issue as it was in his final year with Golden State in the 2023-24 season.
That demotion to the bench led to a career-worst season for Thompson, but he still shot 38.7% from 3-point range and is someone defenses are always going to respect significantly. The 4x champion may have left the Warriors, but their reliance on 3-point shooting hasn't dissipated, having led the league this past season in attempts which proves Thompson could still be a well utilized contributor.
Golden State shouldn't be showing much if any interest in Thompson as a trade target, yet a move to a rebuilding team like the Nets should certainly grab their attention given the increased probability that he'd hit free agency shortly after.
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