Warriors insider provides candid opinion on Klay Thompson's future

Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson

Klay Thompson and the Golden State Warriors have long been expected to be a pairing that likely makes it the distance. The idea of the Warriors parting with any member of their “big three” in Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Thompson has always seemed unlikely, even following Green’s indefinite suspension this season.

After recent comments from The Athletic’s Warriors insider, Anthony Slater, on the “The HoopsHype Podcast with Michael Scotto,” that outlook still appears to be the case, even if the two sides may have some tough contract negotiations on the horizon.

“If you have me predict, until I’m fooled or until I’m proven otherwise, I think they’re going to keep Thompson around because of what he means historically to this franchise, and the number will be dictated by the market,” Slater explained. “If there are other teams out there willing to bump his number to a level the Warriors previously haven’t been willing to go, then maybe they’ll go to that number. If there hasn’t been, maybe Klay has to bring his ask down. But I do think, again, I would predict just because of what both sides mean to each other, I would think they would get something done.”

Essentially, it seems like the future negotiations between Thompson and the Warriors could come down to the 33-year-old guard’s free-agent value. There will almost certainly be some give-and-take on both sides to get the deal done. The insider also highlighted that Thompson is “romantic about this Warriors time and the legacy” and that he “feels that stuff deeply and deeper than your average player.”

That alone is something that absolutely could impact his future, especially with the widespread belief that Thompson wants to remain a Warrior. The No. 11 overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft is in the midst of his lowest-scoring season since his second year in the league. Thompson is averaging 17.4 points on 42.3% shooting from the field and 38.7% from beyond the arc.

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