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Longtime Golden State Warriors star Klay Thompson is officially a free agent for the first time in his career, and he reportedly has a long list of teams he wants to meet with this offseason.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Thompson plans to hold discussions with the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers and Dallas Mavericks “in the early hours of free agency.”
ESPN’s Bobby Marks breaks down how each team could acquire Thompson:
Bobby Marks ,bobbymarks42
The Mavericks have a $16.1M trade exception created from the Tim Hardaway Jr. trade.
The Lakers and Clippers will be $12.8M non-tax ML unless there is a sign/trade.
The 76ers could have $14M in space if Paul George signs with them. https://t.co/yMEkjHcltQ
Jake Fisher Yahoo Sports reported Sunday that Thompson is believed to be willing to accept a $12.9 million mid-level exception from any Los Angeles team. That would be a surprising turn of events for the 34-year-old, as he turned down a two-year, $48 million offer from the Warriors ahead of the 2023-24 season, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.
Thompson was once one of the league’s best two-way guards, but his performance declined last season due to injuries and age. He scored 17.9 points while shooting 38.7 percent from beyond the arc, his first average of less than 20 points since his third year in the NBA in 2013-14. His role diminished throughout the season as the Warriors committed minutes to younger players such as Brandin Podziemski and Jonathan Kuminga.
Thompson leaving Golden State would be the end of an era, but it seems he feels he will have a better opportunity to contribute elsewhere. The Lakers, Clippers, Sixers and Mavs are all hoping to compete for the NBA title next season, so the four-time champion would be a strong addition to any of them.
