"He's mentally not there" - Golden State Warriors urged to trade under fire shooting-guard

The future of Klay Thompson continues to come under scrutiny, with the Golden State Warriors' shooting-guard contuining an underwhelming start to the 2023-24 NBA season.

The 33-year-old veteran was ejected from Tuesday's matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves, before scoring just five points on 1-10 shooting against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday.

Should the Golden State Warriors consider trading franchise legend Klay Thompson in their pursuit of another NBA championship?

Thompson's future was already under the spotlight given he's in the final year of his contract. Player and franchise are yet to come together on a new deal, potentially setting up Thompson to enter free agency during the offseason.

However, analyst and former NBA big man Kendrick Perkins has taken it a step further, urging the Warriors to trade the five-time All-Star following his slow start to the season.

""When you're watching a guy like Klay Thompson, one of the best shooters to ever touch the damn basketball, that is in a slump like he's in, it's more to just shooting the basketball. He's mentally not there," Perkins said on NBA Today on Friday."

Perkins identified the Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks and Miami Heat as three teams that could hold interest in Thompson. His $43.2 million deal would make things difficult for rival teams and the Warriors, even if they were willing to move on from the future hall of famer.

Perkins outlined 76er forward Tobias Harris and Knicks' wing R.J. Barrett as players Golden State could seek in return, though ESPN colleague Zach Lowe refuted the idea that the respective teams would offer those players for the out-of-form Thompson.

Thompson is currently averaging 13.8 points on 40.1% shooting from the floor and 32.9% from three-point range. That's in stark contrast to last season, his first full year after two major injuries, where he averaged 21.9 points on 41.2% shooting from beyond the arc.

Golden State's current form is only adding to the scrutiny coming upon the likes of Thompson and Andrew Wiggins. They'll look to snap a five-game losing streak when they meet the Thunder again at Chase Center on Saturday night.

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