The Golden State Warriors’ star trio of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green may not have played its final season together.
According to Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus, some around the NBA think the Warriors will keep their current core together this offseason even though Thompson is an unrestricted free agent.
“The Warriors may pursue freedom from luxury taxes, which may mean letting Thompson go,” Pincus wrote.
“If so, the [Orlando] Magic need shooting, and Thompson is certainly a name that would bring some buzz to Central Florida. Orlando would need to pay enough to scare off the Warriors, probably something in the $20-25 million starting range (or even higher).
“Some in the league think Golden State will ultimately relent and keep the core of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Thompson together through 2026-27. The Sixers (Philadelphia 76ers) could also be a dark horse, though the team may prefer Paul George, a better defender, as Thompson’s biggest slide since his leg injuries has been on that side of the ball.”
Thompson, who made over $43 million in the final season of his contract in the 2023-24 campaign, has not been the same player since suffering two severe injuries (a ruptured Achilles and torn ACL) that cost him back-to-back seasons (the 2019-20 campaign and 2020-21 season).
This season, Thompson ended up spending some of the campaign coming off the bench for Golden State, averaging just 17.9 points per game – his lowest average since the 2012-13 season.
Thompson also shot just 43.2 percent from the field, the third lowest field-goal percentage of his NBA career.
It’s clear the veteran sharpshooter isn’t the same player he once was, but the Warriors may want to keep the core of Curry, Thompson and Green together since they’ve done so much for the franchise.
The trio has helped Golden State win four titles, most recently in the 2021-22 season when Thompson first returned from injury.
Green is under contract through at least the 2025-26 season, and he has a player option for the 2026-27 season. Curry is under contract through the 2025-26 campaign, meaning that the Warriors could have at least two more seasons of the trio if they re-sign Thompson to a two-year deal or more.
Golden State struggled in the 2023-24 season, failing to make the playoffs in the Western Conference. The Warriors did make the play-in tournament, but they were knocked out by the Sacramento Kings.
Since winning the title in the 2021-22 season, Golden State has won just one playoff series in two seasons.
Thompson’s shooting ability could be coveted by teams on the open market, but they may have to outbid Golden State to pry the five-time All-Star from the franchise that drafted him back in the 2011 NBA Draft.
Given the Warriors’ success with the trio of Curry, Green and Thompson, it’s hard to imagine them not playing together – even though it’s a real possibility – next season.
