News broke on Wednesday that prior to trading Kyrie Irving to the Boston Celtics, the Cleveland Cavaliers had talked to the Golden State Warriors about a trade involving Irving and Klay Thompson.
Speaking about the rumor, Klay made it clear that he’s not only happy to remain with the Warriors, but honored that a team like Cleveland was interested in him.
Klay Thompson on recent rumors: "It shows the Warriors believe in me and other teams want me to be a part of their success." pic.twitter.com/B6leAYfW5a
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) August 23, 2017
“It shows the Warriors believe in me and other teams want me to be a part of their success. So, I appreciate it. I’ve been in trade rumors forever,” Thompson said. “Everybody has, except for maybe like LeBron James and Steph. Well, even Steph early in his career. It’s just a part of the biz. It’s flattering and I do appreciate it.”
Golden State has had the best record in the NBA in each of the last three seasons, has made three straight NBA Finals, and has won two championships. As one of the best two-way players in the league, Thompson has been an integral part of that.
Thompson has the size to handle most perimeter forwards and the speed to handle most guards on defense. On offense, he can get streaky, but is also one of the best shooters in the NBA.
So, it certainly shouldn’t be a surprise that other teams would want Thompson, or that the Warriors would want to keep him.