The Orlando Magic have been “increasingly mentioned as a potential suitor” for Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson in free agency, per longtime NBA reporter Marc Stein.
Stein did make it clear, however, that he believes Thompson will “retire a Warrior” and that the five-time All-Star “will ultimately find common ground with Golden State” on a new contract.
Thompson, an impending free agent, is in his 13th NBA season. The 34-year-old has averaged 17.3 points per game.
It’s been a tough year for Thompson, whose shooting numbers (42.1 percent field goal, 37.3 percent from three) stand as career-worst marks. He was moved to the bench right before the All-Star break, but he responded with 35 points (7-of-13 from three) in a 140-137 win over the Utah Jazz.
Perhaps a second-half surge is in the cards for Thompson, who is sure to draw interest from teams despite his shooting slump.
The Magic are a good fit if a deal with the Warriors doesn’t work out. Orlando is a team on the rise led by young stars Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, sitting with a 30-25 record at the moment.
But the Magic clearly need more help, particularly from behind the three-point line. Orlando is second-last in the Eastern Conference in three-point percentage (34.8 percent). It’s hard seeing the Magic becoming a legit title contender without improving that mark, so Thompson would certainly fit well.
That being said, Thompson is a Warriors legend, and the first option appears to be Golden State. He even told The Ringer’s Logan Murdock that he’s willing to accept a reduced role in town to re-sign with the team: “Yeah, there’s nothing wrong with that.”
“I’ll be 35 next year. At 35, coming off the ACL and an Achilles [tear] and still have the ability to be a really good player. Maybe not the guy who scored 60 in three quarters and scored an NBA record 37 points in a quarter, but still a great threat out there. I’ve modeled my game after Reggie [Miller] and Ray [Allen], and those guys were incredibly effective until their late 30s. So I plan on kind of following that mold.”
We’ll see what happens this summer, but for now, Thompson and the Warriors are in a fight for the playoffs. At 27-26, they sit just 10th in the Western Conference, although an encouraging 8-2 stretch leading into the break brings hope that the team can continue a good run here.
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