Klay Thompson is going to be a free agent next summer, but the Golden State Warriors shouldn't worry about losing their star shooting guard if his father's word is to be trusted.
During an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle this weekend, Klay's father Mychal Thompson was asked about the chances his son will re-sign with the Warriors. "Oh yeah, you can mark it down," he responded. "Klay’s going to retire in the Warriors’ uniform. He’s going to play at Chase Center, and he’s not going to be at Chase Center as a visiting player, he’s going to be a Warrior for the next seven or eight years."
The 63-year-old former NBA player believes that the Warriors won't let their core group of stars be broken up.
"The Warriors have such a special thing here," he said. "For the next six or seven years they’re going to be championship material, they’re not going to break that up. The Bulls [with Michael Jordan] were broken up too prematurely. [Warriors owners] Joe Lacob and Peter Guber aren’t going to let that happen. Are you kidding? They can afford it. They’re the Warriors, this is the Bay Area, they got a beautiful arena, and money’s no object for this team."
Mychal Thompson's words were backed up by his son during another interview with the San Jose Mercury News over the weekend. "I’ve said it many times before: I would like to be a Warrior for life," Klay Thompson explained. "Contract negotiations are way down the line. But I think we all have the same interest. I would love to be here for the rest of my career."
Asked if he would consider securing an extension before or during the 2019-2020 season, Klay added, "It’s tough to say. I’d definitely be interested. But at the end of the day, I’m going to be a free agent in 2019. Number one on my list would obviously be to stay with the Warriors."
Klay's father also had some words to say about what he expects to see from his son this season. "I think you’ll see a hungrier player," he noted. "He’s going to try to get more versatile, try to get to the basket a little more, more free throws, being more efficient on offense that way. I always tell him, try to make it a goal to shoot eight free throws a game. Eight or ten, like James Harden does."
