Report: Klay Thompson's free agency about 'respect and principle'

Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson.

Klay Thompson enters uncharted waters on July 1 as a free agent looking elsewhere for the first time in his storied career. In 2019, Thompson — while recovering from a torn ACL — decided to re-sign with the Warriors without testing the waters of free agency.

This time, though, the future Hall of Famer intends to be courted by teams.

According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Thompson, 34, still considers himself a high-level player deserving of a lucrative contract in the NBA.

“Klay Thompson is very open to seeing his marketplace in free agency,” Charania said on “Run it Back” on FanDuel TV. “The Warriors offered him an extension before the season — 2-year, $48 million — he declined it. He believed at that point and still does, that he’s worth and deserving of more.”

Charania added that Thompson’s free agency will be “about respect and principle” as far as where he stands among the decision-makers of the Warriors organization.

“He’s going to have interest in the marketplace,” Charania stressed.

If Thompson does bolt from the Bay, it would presumably be the hardest decision of his life.

The sharpshooter has never played at the pro level without Stephen Curry or Draymond Green as a teammate. Steve Kerr, Curry and Green addressed the elephant in the room after Tuesday’s season-ending loss in which Thompson went 0-of-10 in his possible final outing as a Warrior.

The trio was adamant about wanting to see Thompson remain a Warrior. Kerr went as far as to say the Warriors “desperately want him back.”

But everything about Tuesday exuded the feeling of farewell.

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