Golden State Warriors foolishly overlooking Klay Thompson as an offseason priority

If it's true that the Golden State Warriors aren't prioritizing re-signing Klay Thompson early on this summer, it could prove to be a big mistake.

With the official start of NBA Free Agency less than a week away, there's a growing sense that Klay Thompson and the Golden State Warriors could be headed toward a divorce. But the reason why may not be something anyone could've imagined. As negotiations between Klay and the Warriors have reportedly broken down, it may not be just about money anymore. It may be about respect.

At least for now, the Warriors' priority heading into the start of the offseason revolves around exploring their potential trade options. This is not to say that the Warriors don't want to re-sign Klay, but this says more about what they believe his market to be at the moment heading into free agency. And this could end up being a big mistake on their part.

The Golden State Warriors are playing a dangerous game with Klay Thompson

If Klay views this stance as disrespectful, the Warriors could be playing with fire. Thinking of this entire situation between the Warriors and Klay mirrors what transpired between the Miami Heat and Dwyane Wade back in the summer of 2016. One that ended with Wade signing with the Chicago Bulls in free agency.

Looking back, the Heat was prioritizing other avenues of improving the roster. In the end, Wade felt disrespected enough to the point where he signed elsewhere.

I can't help but wonder if we could be on the verge of something similar between the Warriors and Klay. Maybe the Warriors are fine with Klay leaving in free agency. But this entire situation reeks of overconfidence from Golden State and it's a dangerous game.

At this point, it would still be surprising if the Warriors and Klay didn't find a resolution at some point this offseason. However, there's no question that this is a dangerous game being played by Golden State. It's clear they want to improve their roster around their core, but there's all of a sudden a chance that those pursuits could result in losing Klay and weakening their roster in the end.

All that said, I suppose you have to trust the Warriors' organization. Even though some faces are different, this is still a franchise that has found a way to make the best of situations. You can't completely judge this team until we see the end result this offseason.

For now, it does appear as if the Warriors are playing a dangerous game in not prioritizing Klay in free agency. The question is, will the Warriors get burned this time around?