With the Golden State Warriors’ season officially coming to an end on Tuesday night, their attention will now turn to the 2024 NBA offseason. There will be a lot of difficult decisions for the franchise to make, with the biggest one being what to do with Klay Thompson.
The No. 11 pick in the 2011 NBA Draft has been with the Warriors for his entire 13-year career. But, his time with the franchise could come to an end this season as he is set to hit free agency for the first time.
There has been a lot of chatter about Thompson’s future with the Warriors, as they could opt to go in a different direction. That isn’t what Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and head coach Steve Kerr want to see. But, whatever is best for the franchise is what general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. will do.
A lot will go into deciding what to do with Thompson. He has been a long-time contributor to the team, but can the Warriors afford to keep him? There are a few teams with a lot of money to spend this offseason that could offer him a contract outside of the range Golden State is willing to pay.
One of those teams, according to sources at The Athletic, could be the Dallas Mavericks. An eye should be kept on them as they could look to upgrade the supporting cast around Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.
While not as impactful as earlier in his career, Thompson could still thrive as a complementary player in the right scheme. Dallas needs 3-and-D players around their offensive stars and Thompson would certainly fit the bill of what they are looking for.
Playing alongside Curry for his entire career is a privilege in itself. Working off of Doncic and Irving would be even easier for Thompson given his style of play. Despite a drop in production, Thompson can still help an NBA team win some games.
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