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SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Klay Thompson has supplied so many memorable moments throughout his decade-plus run as Stephen Curry’s Splash Brother operating mate for the Golden State Warriors dynasty.
The Recreation 6 heroics. The scores of 3-pointers. The shut-down protection in opposition to a number of the recreation’s prime scorers.
These have been all distant reminiscences as Thompson had certainly one of his worst video games ever at a giant second, lacking all 10 photographs he took Tuesday night time in a 118-94 loss to the Sacramento Kings within the Play-In Event that was Thompson’s final recreation earlier than an unsure summer season of free company.
“All people’s going to speak about one recreation,” Curry stated. “I do know he wished to play higher. … I do know he’s a real champion. All of us put together ourselves to play our greatest when the lights are shiny. When it doesn’t occur, no one must let you know something.
Thompson spent the ultimate minutes of the loss sitting on the bench with a clean stare earlier than slowly strolling off the court docket for what may need been the ultimate time in a Warriors uniform.
He went scoreless for the primary time since his rookie season and had essentially the most missed photographs with out a make in a playoff recreation by a Warriors participant in at the very least 50 seasons.
It was a far cry from his 37-point third quarter in opposition to the Kings in 2015 or a 60-point recreation in opposition to Indiana the next season or the 11 3-pointers he hit within the sixth recreation of the 2016 Western Convention Finals in opposition to Oklahoma Metropolis that helped drive a seventh recreation and an eventual journey again to the NBA Finals.
However Thompson has struggled to get again to that degree after lacking two full seasons in 2019-20 and 2020-21 with catastrophic accidents to his knee and Achilles. He returned to assist Golden State win a fourth championship on this period in 2022 however struggled for lengthy parts of this season.
He was benched in key late-game moments at instances, compelled to come back off the bench throughout one stretch however had appeared to seek out his groove late within the season earlier than falling flat in opposition to the Kings.
That ended the ultimate season of a five-year contract price practically $190 million and now could be set to develop into a free agent in July. The Warriors should resolve how a lot they’re keen to pay a 34-year-old whose greatest seasons are prior to now after a pair of significant accidents and Thompson should resolve how massive a pay minimize he’s keen to take or whether or not he’d fairly end his profession elsewhere.
Warriors’ Steve Kerr: “We’d like Klay [Thompson] again. … He is nonetheless bought good years left. I do know I communicate for everyone within the group: We wish him again. … We desperately need him again.”
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) April 17, 2024
“We’d like Klay again. I do know he had a troublesome night time tonight,” coach Steve Kerr stated. “I do know I communicate for everybody within the group, we would like him again. Clearly there’s enterprise at hand and that needs to be addressed. … However what Klay has meant to this franchise, nearly as good as he’s, we positively need him again.”
Thompson has been a serious a part of a franchise that received 4 championships and made six journeys to the Finals from 2015-22. Thompson’s 2,481 made 3-pointers within the common season are the sixth most in NBA historical past and the 501 he has made within the playoffs are greater than anybody apart from Curry.
Thompson didn’t speak to the media after the sport however is predicted to speak on Wednesday because the workforce heads house for an unsure summer season.
“He has a call to make,” ahead Draymond Inexperienced stated. “He’s going to make the perfect resolution for him. The workforce has a call to make. They’ll make the perfect resolution for the workforce. I don’t assume there’s any situation the place Klay leaves and that’s the perfect situation for this workforce of group. … They did proper by me. They’ve carried out proper by Steph. They’ve carried out proper by all of us.”
This marked the primary time the Warriors missed the playoffs in a season once they had the trio of Curry, Thompson and Inexperienced wholesome. Their 12 seasons as teammates are the second most of any trio in NBA historical past, trailing solely the 14 for San Antonio’s Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili.
“I can by no means see myself not with these two guys,” Curry stated. “I perceive this league adjustments and there’s so many issues that go into it and we’re not going to play endlessly. However we skilled a lot collectively. On the finish of the day, I do know they need to win and I do know I need to win and that’s all I fear about.”