Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson have been Golden State Warriors teammates for 13 seasons now, but we may be witnessing the last days of the Splash Brothers. Thompson, 34, is in the final year of his contract, setting up the four-time NBA champion to enter free agency.
The Warriors have a bit of salary cap trouble, where they’re projected to be over $100 over the 2024-25 spending limit, and re-signing an aging shooter who has come off the bench at times may not be the team’s top priority.
This opens up Thompson’s free agency bidding to other interested parties, and as The Athletic’s Tim Kawakami reports, the Orlando Magic are expected to back up the Brinks truck.
“One of the worst-kept secrets in the league is that Orlando, loaded with young talent but not with shooters, might offer Klay a ton of money next summer. Meanwhile, Joe Lacob has said the Warriors want to get all the way out of the luxury tax next summer, which is possible, but only if they are very disciplined about how much they’re willing to pay to keep Klay (and/or CP3).”
NBA insider Tim Kawakami on Klay Thompson free agency rumors
As much as the Warriors may be hesitant to break up their core, they also have to face reality, knowing this Golden State team is no longer ascending toward being a championship contender. Is Thompson really worth his current $43 million salary?
Golden State may not be able to afford Thompson at his desired rate, but the Magic’s situation is much different. The top earner on the Magic’s roster is Jonathan Isaac at $17.4 million next season and Orlando is expected to have at least $20 million in practical cap space this summer. As noted, the Magic have a need for shooters, and Thompson could be an ideal fit.
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