The Hard Truth About Klay Thompson's Free Agency

Klay Thompson’s free agency with the Golden State Warriors has officially started. It’s been reported across varying outlets that Thompson wants a three-year deal, but that hasn’t gone quite according to plan.

During an episode of Tim MacMahon’s “The Hoop Collective” podcast, the ESPN analyst revealed that the Warriors reportedly offered Klay Thompson a two-year deal. It’s worth noting that Draymond Green was offered a four-year deal.

“We’ve heard that it’s a two-year offer,” MacMahon said “It’s as much about years as dollars in some of these cases.

It wasn’t just the Golden State Warriors that were reportedly willing to offer Klay a short-term deal, but also the Orlando Magic. According to a report from Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, the Orlando Magic are looking for a veteran wing or guard to join Paolo Banchero, but they want to offer a short-term deal.

“Orlando, sources said, indeed holds intentions of pursuing a veteran guard/wing who can space the floor around Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, without commanding too much on-ball oxygen,” Fischer said. “Orlando appears to have an appetite to only offer a short-term deal, similar to the two-year, above-market contract the Magic awarded Joe Ingles a season ago.”

If Klay Thompson wants a three-year deal, it’s looking like that’ll be getting harder and harder for him to get, unless he takes a paycut. Especially, with players like Paul George, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and James Harden all on the market.

“Let’s say the Magic prove to be open to something similar to Bruce Brown’s contract last summer, when the Pacers inked the former Nuggets swingman to a two-year, $45 million deal, the second season being a team option,” Fischer said. “That number would be below what Thompson declined from Golden State prior to the 2023-24 campaign, sources said, and would not come close to the four years and $78 million Sacramento plans to give Monk.”