The Los Angeles Lakers are heading into an offseason full of uncertainty with all eyes on LeBron James’ potential free agency. One way to entice James to re-sign with the Lakers (assuming the star opts out) is for the front office to get creative by adding another star.
The one player who could be willing to take a little less to sign with the Lakers is Golden State Warriors star Klay Thompson. The hometown player has been open about his affinity for the Lakers as the son of former L.A. big man Mychal Thompson. Bleacher Report’s Jermaine Womack makes the case for the Lakers being a top landing spot for Thompson.
“I feel like him playing off of James [and] playing off of Anthony Davis. I feel like they could get good value out of him, depending on what kind of contract he’s going to command,” Womack explained during a May 9, 2024 live stream. “Because when I look at Klay Thompson, I think the days of max money, I think that those days are over.
“And I also feel like where he is in his career, I feel like he could still shoot the long ball and I still feel like he can be effective, but depending on what the price tag is for him,” Womack continued. “I can’t really see him commanding max money in this market. I can’t see it, and I think that him playing for the Lakers, I think that it will be a really good thing for him.”
Lakers Rumors: Could Klay Thompson Be Willing to Take a Hometown Discount to Sign with Los Angeles?
Now, there are plenty of reasons why this will not work, namely the financial implications. Thompson just completed a five-year, $189.9 million contract with the Warriors.
The Lakers are well above the salary cap heading into next season. Assuming James opts out of his contract, the superstar is eligible for a three-year, $162 million deal with Los Angeles.
Thus far, we have not seen James show a desire to take less money in order to help his team build a stronger roster. The Lakers need D’Angelo Russell to opt out and sign with a new team in order to have the $12.9 million non-midlevel exception.
Warriors Rumors: The Magic & Lakers Are 2 Potential Destinations for Klay Thompson
Could Thompson be willing to sign for this exception to join his hometown team? It is possible but a more likely scenario is pushing the Warriors to do him a favor via a sign-and-trade to the Lakers. Thompson averaged 17.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 38.7% from long range in 77 appearances this season.
Los Angeles faces an uphill battle to convince Thompson to sign a team-friendly deal. There are several teams with cap space that could make a run at Thompson, not to mention the Warriors’ own pursuit to retain the star guard. One name to watch is the Orlando Magic, who have already been linked to Thompson.
“The Magic can open up an excess of sixty million dollars in cap space this off season,” NBA insider Shams Charania detailed in a May 6 episode of “Run It Back.” “… One name to keep an eye on, Klay Thompson, I’m told there is mutual interest between the Magic and Klay Thompson.”
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