For the first time in over a decade, Klay Thompson will begin a game for the Golden State Warriors off the bench.
The 2023-24 NBA season has been a nightmare for five-time All-Star Klay Thompson. Over the 49 games he has played this season, the 34-year-old is averaging career lows in points, field goal percentage, and three-point percentage. And before 2023-24 he was already viewed as a diminished player after missing two seasons due to Achilles and ACL tears.
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While Thompson is one of the greatest players in Golden State Warriors history, the reality for the team is that of one barely hanging on to a playoff spot. That is why it should not come as a no surprise that the organization took a bold stance on Thompson to help improve their postseason hopes for the remainder of the season.
On Wednesday night, The Athletic’s Warriors beat writer Anthony Slater revealed “Brandin Podziemski is starting in Klay Thompson’s place tonight in Utah. Thompson is not currently listed on the injury report, so appears to be coming off the bench,” Slater wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Klay Thompson stats (2023-24): 17.0 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 2.2 APG, 37% 3PT
Klay Thompson’s disastrous season thus far comes at the absolute worst time since he is set to become a free agent at the end of the season. In October, it looked as if he and the organization would eventually agree on a new long-term deal.
However, his asking price is reportedly higher than the team is willing to pay and now the organization will have even more leverage in negotiations after this season. The 13-year veteran is finishing out a five-year, $189 million contract he signed with the team before the 2019-20 season.
He is likely to get nowhere close to the $43.2 million he is making this season from any interested teams in the NBA free agent market. Earlier this week Thompson admitted being open to a reduced role later in his career, but it seems that moment has come far earlier than he expected.
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