If Golden State Warriors' fans wanted some reassurance from Klay Thompson surrounding his future with the franchise, Wednesday's end-of-season press conference didn't exactly provide it.
Thompson fronted the media for the first time since Tuesday's elimination against the Sacramento Kings, with the 34-year-old having produced a nightmare performance that saw him go scoreless for the first time since his rookie season.
Klay Thompson wasn't in the mood to answer questions regarding his future ahead of a big offseason for the Golden State Warriors
Tuesday's outing was a sour end to a strong second-half of the season for both Thompson and the Warriors, leaving plenty of question marks ahead of an offseason where the five-time All-Star will become an unrestricted free agent.
Thompson's future has risen to the very top of storylines in the wake of Golden State's season, but the man himself wasn't overly keen on discussing free agency. When The Athletic's Anthony Slater opened with a question on his future, Thompson bit back rather sharply.
"We all wanna talk about the season first or just talk about the future? There was a lot of games played, man. That was a pretty big accomplishment. What’s up with y’all not wanting to live in the present bro? Ridiculous."Klay Thompson
Here are Klay Thompson’s free agency related answers today
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) April 17, 2024
“What’s up with y’all not wanting to live in the present? Ridiculous.”
“Well, considering it’s April 17th, I don’t have to pivot that quickly. When’s free agency? July 1st? I got some time.” pic.twitter.com/G7FFlefdnL
While there's a narrative that ownership and the franchise did Thompson a favor by signing him to a max extension after tearing his ACL in the 2019 Finals, the veteran sharpshooter was keen to debunk that by stating, "could you imagine if they didn't pay me after I got hurt? That would have been bad."
Following the conclusion of a five-year, $189.9 million contract, Thompson is expected to garner a contract between $20-30 million annually. He reportedly turned down a two-year, $48 million extension before the season, but that appears like a realistic deal now that would tie him to the contract lengths of Stephen Curry, Steve Kerr and Draymond Green.
After averaging nearly 20 points on 41.8% three-point shooting over the the final 28 games of the regular season, there'll be no shortage of rival suitors for Thompson which currently appears headed by the Orlando Magic.
Thompson headlines a huge offseason for the Warriors who will also have a decision to make on 38-year-old Chris Paul, while the futures of fellow veterans Andrew Wiggins and Kevon Looney will also draw speculation.