Golden State Warriors GM opens up about potential Klay Thompson departure; fails to commit to star

The Golden State Warriors find themselves in the midst of what could end up being a franchise-altering offseason. Golden State has missed out on the playoffs three of the past five seasons. It is coming off a loss to the Sacramento Kings in the NBA Play-In Tournament.

That game saw franchise legend Klay Thompson shoot 0-of-10 from the field without scoring a single point. It was a career lowlight for the four-time NBA champion.

Was that the last time we’ll see Thompson in a Warriors uniform? It’s more than a realistic question with Klay set to hit NBA free agency and recent reports suggesting he could bolt Northern California after 13 seasons.

With the NBA Draft set to get going here soon, Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. spoke to media on Monday. He admitted that the process is hard. However, the front office head did not commit to re-signing Thompson.

“A guy like Klay Thompson, a guy who’s meant so much to this franchise, to completely strip the emotion from it, I think that’s almost impossible, but this is a business,” Dunleavy told reporters, via KNBR .

Notice how Dunleavy pointed to this being a business? It seems like that aspect of things have taken on a new meaning with talks between Thompson and Golden State having stalled recently.

Related: 5 moves to make the Golden State Warriors NBA title contenders

Could this be the end of Klay Thompson on the Golden State Warriors?

Dunleavy Jr. refused to expand on what’s happening behind the scenes between Thompson and the Warriors. In particular, contract extension talks.

Despite what might be a watered-down market for the 34-year-old Thompson, it is now becoming less of a possibility that he returns to the Warriors.

This past season represented a ton of frustration on the part of the future Hall of Famer. That included Thompson being relegated to bench duties at times. All said, he put up his worst statistical performance since the 2012-13 season.

• Klay Thompson stats (2023-24): 17.9 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 2.3 APG, 39% 3-point shooting

All the while, Golden State continues to be linked to other wings. That includes potential blockbuster trades for Jimmy Butler or Paul George, among others.

Read more: Updated Golden State Warriors news and rumors

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