Reporter 'not so certain' about Magic's interest in Klay Thompson

Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson.

Veteran swingman Klay Thompson will be eligible for unrestricted free agency on June 30, and he reportedly plans to test his value on the open market. The question is, which team (or teams) will pursue him?

“At this juncture, I am starting to be skeptical — outside of the Philly backup option plan for (Thompson) — there’s really much of a market out there,” Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports said on the "No Cap Room" podcast. “The Orlando stuff, I’m not so certain about. (There’s) definite word that the Magic are only going to be willing to offer a two-year balloon payment bigger than what they did for Joe Ingles last year.”

Ingles received a two-year, $22M contract from Orlando last summer, but only the first season was guaranteed — the Magic hold an $11M team option on his deal for 2024-25.

Thompson reportedly turned down a two-year, $48M extension from the Warriors before the 2023-24 season began. Fischer expressed some skepticism that the Magic, who could have about $50M in cap room, would be willing to offer the 34-year-old a deal in that range.

Shams Charania and Anthony Slater of The Athletic have reported that while the Warriors would like to bring Thompson back, they also haven’t exactly been “beating down his door” to sign him to a new contract. That strongly suggests Golden State doesn’t view Thompson as its top priority this summer, which is understandable given how injuries have impacted his game.

One report earlier this week stated that Thompson was looking for a deal that covers a minimum of three years. Unless he’s willing to take less money for more long-term security, a three-year contract might be difficult to come by.

For what it’s worth, the Sixers‘ interest pursuing Paul George has “significantly waned,” perhaps opening a door for Thompson. The Thunder have also been floated as a cap-room contender that could be a fit, though it’s unclear if there’s real interest there from either side.

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