The chances of Klay Thompson departing the Golden State Warriors this offseason appear to be growing, at least according to a major report providing the latest on the veteran sharpshooter's future.
Having finished the final season of a five-year, $189.9 million contract, Thompson's future continues to be the most significant storyline for the Warriors as they prepare for a pivotal couple of months.
Klay Thompson and the Golden State Warriors could be headed for a separation with "no notable movement from either side" prior to free agency
The Athletic's Anthony Slater revealed on Thursday that, despite remaining eligible for a contract extension, Thompson remains destined to explore free agency where he's likely to have a number of possible alternatives.
"It’s the final month of Klay Thompson’s current contract with the Golden State Warriors, and there remains a realistic chance these are the fading days of his 13-year run with the organization. As the decision on his future nears, there’s been no notable movement from either side toward a resolution."Anthony Slater
The idea of this potentially being the "fading days" of Thompson's time with the Warriors is a sobering thought for many, even if there was an inevitability of this point being reached given how the season played out from both an individual and team standpoint.
The 34-year-old averaged the least amount of points since his second season, having also shot the ball under 40% from three-point range for only the second time in his decorated 13-year career.
Those numbers helped lead to Thompson's controversial benching mid-season, and while he returned to the starting lineup and played well in the closing weeks, his 0-point, 0-of-10 shooting performance against the Sacramento Kings was a jarring end to an up-and-down campaign.
After Thompson reportedly declined a two-year, $48 million extension prior to the season, there's been an ever-growing sense that he would hit free agency and explore his options. He had entered free agency in 2019, but that never evoked anywhere near the same level of pessimism and suggestion that his time with Golden State could be up.
While there isn't only the sentimental factor in all of this, there's also the issue of the Warriors having little capacity to replace the franchise legend who remains one of the league's best and most lethal three-point shooters.
Thompson is still likely to garner offers in excess of $20 million per season, with Slater reporting that the Oklahoma City Thunder, Philadelphia 76ers and Orlando Magic could all be options for the five-time All-Star.