It’s no secret Klay Thompson is no longer the same player he was during the Golden State Warriors’ dominant run several years ago. The thing is, he can regain some of his glory back with the help of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Thompson first entered the league as the Warriors’ 11th overall pick in the 2011 Draft. While the franchise was blasted for picking another guard to play alongside Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis, that decision worked out well down the line, especially during the 2014-15 season.
In Steve Kerr’s first year as Warriors head coach, Thompson, Curry, and Draymond Green reached the Finals to face LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. This marked the first of their four rings together, with the other two attributed to Kevin Durant’s presence in Golden State. Unfortunately, Thompson missed two whole seasons from 2019-2021 due to knee and Achilles injuries.
While he did return to form after those injuries, even helping Curry and company secure ring number four in 2022, Thompson was never the same again. Although he still retained some heat from outside the arc, his defensive prowess and speed wasn’t just the same anymore.
Klay Thompson Joins Oklahoma City Thunder in Intriguing Free Agency Proposal
The previous season was the last in Thompson’s contract for the Warriors. With free agency coming soon, one of the best situations he can land in is with the Oklahoma City Thunder, as explained in an article by Chriss Herring for ESPN.
“Even if he was a hair under 39% from 3 this past season, the 34-year-old still canned 268 triples. (The season before, when he hit 41.2% of his 3s, Thompson drained a league-best 301.) Gilgeous-Alexander was already throwing kickout passes a longer average distance than anyone outside of Luka Doncic, per Second Spectrum, because of how much space he had to work with. (Oklahoma City also uses its guards to screen off the ball in a way that’s similar to what Golden State does.) Thompson would amplify all that.
He would need considerable incentive to leave the Warriors, who seem set on making one last push with their championship core. But perhaps the Thunder — who still have a couple years before they realistically need to worry about the punishing luxury tax aprons due to their youth — would construct a deal with Thompson that includes more years than Golden State would agree to,” Herring wrote.
Thompson as a Thunder player will mean that he won’t be pressured to score a lot on a nightly basis. OKC has a wealth of offensive options, including MVP runner-up Shai Gilgeous Alexander, rookie big man Chet Holmgren, and sophomore star Jalen Williams. But with him outside the arc, opponents will be forced to space the floor, giving his potential teammates better opportunities to score.
It remains to be seen whether Thompson will stay in the Bay, sign up with the Thunder, or end up with another team. In any case, fans can expect the Splash Brother to be one of the top names when free agency starts soon.
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