Warriors reportedly open to trade talks on franchise legend and future Hall of Famer

With the February 8 trade deadline just over a week away, the Golden State Warriors' ongoing struggles has meant just about anything is possible for the franchise as they seek to salvage their season.

While speculation has arisen on the future of just about everyone outside superstar Stephen Curry, there's been a notion that the franchise would also be highly unlikely to part with one or both of long-time duo Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.

The Golden State Warriors are reportedly open to talks regarding Klay Thompson in what would be a franchise-shattering trade

That notion has been put to the test with The Athletic's Shams Charania reporting that Thompson is a candidate for the Warriors to take calls on over the next 10 days.

It's quite an extraordinary development given the concept of Thompson away from Golden State is still a hard one to fathom for most. A five-time All-Star and four-time champion, the 33-year-old is undoubtedly one of the franchise's greatest ever players.

It also comes at a time where Thompson's form has been far less discussed than what it had been earlier in the season. Having not recorded at least 24 points until his 23rd game of the season, Thompson's now reached that mark in four his past eight games.

Trading Thompson would be a franchise-shattering move that would reverberate around the league. It might prove to be the right call depending on what the Warriors get in return, but it would nevertheless feel like a part of the soul and history of the team had departed.

These reports may also be an indication that Thompson and Golden State remain a fair way apart on contract negotiations. If Mike Dunleavy Jr. and the front office believe it will be hard to come to terms with him even in free agency, why not try and get something now rather than allowing him to leave for nothing?

It's difficult to ascertain which teams would have interest in Thompson and his $43.2 million expiring contract, at least not without dumping longer-term salary on a Warrior franchise that doesn't particularly want to take that route.

The report also suggests that the Warriors will gauge trade interest in future Hall of Fame point-guard Chris Paul and 2022 All-Star Andrew Wiggins, though that seems considerably less notable given it's been prominently speculated for weeks.