The Milwaukee Bucks will have some interesting basketball decisions to make over the next week or so, with NBA Free Agency looming. Khris Middleton declined his player option and is a free agent. What if he leaves? Should the Milwaukee Bucks make an aggressive move as a result, like pursuing a Klay Thompson trade with the Golden State Warriors?
Should the Milwaukee Bucks Pursue a Klay Thompson Trade?
Outside of Giannis Antetokounpo and Jrue Holiday as the top two options, they don’t have a solid option offensively. Klay Thompson is in the final year of his contract with the Golden State Warriors and is 33 years old. The cap hit for him this season, according to Spotrac, is over $43 million.
Having Chris Paul, Steph Curry, and Klay Thompson all on the same team doesn’t make much sense. Golden State has too many guards on their roster. Golden State also drafted Brandin Podziemski in the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft out of Santa Clara. Podziemski is a shooting guard and is also Klay Thompson’s future replacement.
Golden State should focus on keeping Draymond Green because they need interior help. Getting rid of Thompson and keeping Green would make more sense than playing small ball all the time. Teams are transitioning to having at least one big man on the floor at all times.
The days of small ball are gone, and we are back to normalizing bigs in the NBA because of Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic. As a result, Klay Thompson may not be in the long-term plans of the Golden State Warriors after 2024. Yes, they may go for one more title run, but the Milwaukee Bucks should consider giving them a call, especially if Khris Middleton walks.
Thompson isn’t the player he once was, but he is a solid defender. Plus, when he gets going, good luck stopping him. It’s not like a Klay Thompson trade would be ideal for a rebuilding team. The Milwaukee Bucks are one of the top teams to win it all in 2024. Thompson averaged 21.9 PPG, 4.1 RPG, and 2.4 APG in 69 games during the 2022-2023 regular season.
Klay Thompson Trade Verdict
The Milwaukee Bucks, however, likely won’t have the capital to trade for Klay Thompson. The only two-guard on the roster they could offer in a package is Grayson Allen. Maybe they could work a sign-and-trade with Brooke Lopez. But that still likely isn’t enough.
Milwaukee is in a hole in trying to make trades these days. Klay Thompson in a Milwaukee Bucks uniform instead of Khris Middleton is a nice thought, but it feels like a Hail Mary.
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