NBA Rumors: Why Golden State Warriors must re-sign Klay Thompson this summer

NBA Rumors: Even after a disaster of a season, the Golden State Warriors must re-sign Klay Thompson.

When the 2023-24 season began, the Golden State Warriors knew that they were approaching the end of a golden era. Their main core of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green ushered in that era of basketball as they are all mainly responsible for the title runs and overall success of the franchise throughout the years.

These players are all nearing the end of their illustrious Hall of Fame careers but the Warriors have enormous decisions to make as Thompson is set to hit the free agent market this summer. Curry is the oldest out of the group at 36 and has been the face of the Warriors during their majestic run. Green and Thompson on the other hand are both two years younger at 34 and it's hard to imagine any of these players playing in any other uniform.

There already existed chatter and rumors about the Warriors possibly moving on from Thompson as he is set to become an unrestricted free agent at season's end. He just finished playing on an expiring five-year contract worth $189 million and it's highly unlikely the Warriors will be willing to give him a similar deal this time around.

It's evident that Thompson is no longer in his prime and is clearly not the all-star caliber player he used to be. The reason for a decline in his numbers may be due to the two significant injuries he suffered back to back. The first injury took place on the grandest of stages in the 2019 NBA Finals when Thompson was fouled on a drive to the basket which caused him to land awkwardly, resulting in him tearing his ACL.

Thompson then was forced to sit out for an entire season as he began the arduous journey of rehabbing and getting back on the floor. During that next offseason, Thompson became healthy enough to participate in basketball activities but the unthinkable happened when he participated in a pickup game. As unfortunate as it was, Thompson tore his right Achilles tendon and was forced to watch from the sideline for another season.

Anyone with any knowledge of sports injuries knows how difficult it is for an athlete to recover from them, especially when it comes to the severity of Thompson's injuries. It's not just the rehab but there is also the mental aspect that athletes have to conquer in order to regain performing at a peak level. The fact that Thompson was able to come back from these setbacks was an accomplishment within itself.

Why the Golden State Warriors should re-sign Klay Thompson

However, the Warriors should want to keep him there even after Thompson was highly criticized for his recent performance against the Sacramento Kings in the Play-In Tournament as he failed to score a single point in the game. Many analysts believe that Thompson has played his final game with the Warriors but that may not be the case.

The organization rewarded him with the big contract because he deserved it despite having to sit out two entire seasons. At the end of the day, Thompson appears to care more about remaining a part of this team moving forward. He will most likely have to accept less money in order to stay but that would also help the organization to try and sign other players who could come in and help keep the Warriors in contention.

During the postgame press conference after their defeat to the Kings head coach Steve Kerr, Curry and Green all expressed their desire to bring Thompson back. It's only fitting that Thompson remains with the team for the remainder of his career. Even though his performance isn't what we are used to getting out of Thompson, his good has definitely outweighed the bad by a large margin and the Warriors will be a better team with him than without him.

Even now, as he is a step slower due to age and injury, Thompson is still a very good defender and he still is one of the greatest shooters to ever play. Thompson will probably be offered more money from another team in free agency, so at the end of the day it really depends on what his heart desires. Does he sign with another organization for more money and try to win a championship elsewhere or will he settle for less money and be content taking on a lesser role and hopefully retire a Warrior?

All great players have disappointing performances during their careers at some point. Their careers won't be defined by the moments they failed but they will be remembered for what they accomplished. Thompson is a 4-time champion and a 5-time NBA All-Star and it would not be a surprise to see him bounce back from this in a Warriors uniform next season.