Klay Thompson is wanted back by Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy and star teammates Steph Curry and Draymond Green, but the five-time NBA All-Star shooting guard will have outside free agency interest this summer.
The Dallas Mavericks are "worth watching as a possible suitor" for Thompson, The Athletic's Sam Amick reported last Wednesday, citing league sources.
Per Spotrac, though, the Mavericks already are over the 2024-25 luxury tax threshold, with over $173 million in taxable salaries.
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The Orlando Magic, in need of a shooter and armed with salary cap space, reportedly also could be a destination for Thompson if he decides to leave the Warriors, the only NBA team he has known.
Thompson just finished a five-year, $190 million contract and will become an unrestricted free agent when the NBA playoffs conclude.
ESPN's Zach Lowe reported last week that Thompson's representatives and the Warriors haven't had substantive contract talks in months.
In the aftermath of the Warriors' season-ending NBA Play-In Tournament loss to the Sacramento Kings last Tuesday, Curry, Green and Dunleavy made it clear publicly that they all want Thompson to return next season.
Golden State Warriors
But Thompson's future likely depends on the salary he can command on the open market, and whether the Warriors are willing or able to afford it.
Dunleavy acknowledged that the Warriors need to trim salary for the upcoming 2024-25 NBA season, so possibly signing Thompson to considerably less than the $43 million he made this past season might be the only way the four-time NBA champion can remain in the Bay Area for the next few years.
Thompson, who has earned $266 million in career on-court salaries, per Spotrac, has a big decision to make this summer: Take the best possible offer, which might mean leaving the Warriors, or potentially take a below-market deal to likely finish his Hall of Fame career in the Bay.