The NBA free agent class of 2019 is expected to be one of the deepest in league history.
Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson has again expressed a preference in staying out of that pool by saying he would like to remain in the Bay Area, where has won three NBA titles.
The Bay Area News Group’s Mark Media caught up with the four-time All-Star on his future with the team.
“I’ve said it many times before: I would like to be a Warrior for life,” Thompson told Bay Area News Group before hosting a party at Hotel Vitale as a prelude to his first annual Thompson Family Foundation Golf Tournament on Sunday at TPC Harding Park. “Contract negotiations are way down the line. But I think we all have the same interest. I would love to be here for the rest of my career.”
To ensure that, would Thompson entertain securing an extension with the Warriors before or during the 2019-20 season? Or would Thompson prefer to become a free agent in 2019, potentially to maximize his earnings?
“It’s tough to say,” Thompson said. “I’d definitely be interested. But at the end of the day, I’m going to be a free agent in 2019. Number one on my list would obviously be to stay with the Warriors.”
In May, The Athletic’s Marcus Thompson reported that Thompson and the team were working on a contract extension.
Klay’s father, Mychal, said to the San Francisco to count on his son staying with the Warriors.
“Oh yeah, you can mark it down,” Mychal Thompson said at a party to kick off the Thompson Family Foundation’s first charity golf tourney. “Klay’s going to retire in the Warriors’ uniform. He’s going to play at Chase Center (the Warriors’ new arena, opening in 2019), and he’s not going to be at Chase Center as a visiting player, he’s going to be a Warrior for the next seven or eight years.”
