Golden State Warriors Rumors: Latest on Klay Thompson’s free agency plans

The latest Golden State Warriors rumors regarding Klay Thompson’s plans for 2019 NBA free agency should keep Bay Area fans from hitting the panic button.

There’s been a lot of speculation about what the future could have in store for Klay Thompson. Well, according to the latest Golden State Warriors rumors, there’s reason to believe the sharpshooting guard isn’t as interested in leaving as many believe.

So where are these rumors coming from? That would be The Athletic’s Ethan Strauss, who had this to say about Thompson’s plans for 2019 NBA free agency — or at least the expectation within the Warriors organization:

"Still, the expectation within and outside the Warriors is that Klay isn’t leaving. This is why you don’t hear about any team besides the Lakers gearing up for the Summer of Klay."

And realistically, that’s all its been up to this point. Yes, we’ve heard about LeBron James‘ love for Thompson and his shooting prowess. There’s been plenty of speculation the Los Angeles Lakers could make a run at him. Beyond that, though, there hasn’t been much. Chances are there’s a reason for that, as Strauss suggests.

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Retaining Thompson would be all the more likely if the Warriors watched Kevin Durant split via free agency. We’ve heard far more regarding his future, with a number of teams cropping up as potential suitors — including the Lakers and New York Knicks. There’s been far more smoke around Durant’s situation, which likely means there’s more reason to believe there’s fire.

Put this all together, and Warriors fans’ minds should be put slightly more at ease.  If these rumors regarding Thompson’s intent turn out to be true, that means the Splash Brothers won’t be broken up. It also means we’ll be seeing more of the 43-point performances that had James fawning over one of the NBA’s deadliest 3-point threats.

We must also remember that Mychal, Klay’s father, recently gave his own two cents on his son’s pending free agency while speaking on KNBR 680:

"As long as Joe Lacob and Peter Guber and the Warriors organization wants him there — and the coaching staff and the fan base — as long as he’s wanted, there’s no reason to leave.”"

We can’t completely take Mychal’s word for it, but he’s as likely as anyone else to have the inside scoop on Thompson’s thought process. Then again, a lot can change between now and July. It’s the NBA — crazy things happen every offseason. It’s safe to say that this latest information from Strauss allows Warriors fans to stop hovering their fingers over the panic button.

Obviously the possibility of Thompson leaving will be present until a new deal is signed. For the time being, though, we can breath a little easier knowing the other Splash Brother is leaning towards staying in the Bay Area.