Klay Thompson Trade Rumors: NBA Insider spills beans on Orlando's cap space advantage and desire to sign 4x champion

Klay Thompson’s future with the Golden State Warriors has been under heavy scanner since the Warriors’ season ended at the play-in stage. The Warriors failed to make the playoffs and there has been chatter around the league that it was time for the Dubs to break the big three in Golden State. It is hard for anyone to imagine Klay Thompson on any team that is not the Warriors but not after the latest news.

According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Thompson might be interested in looking elsewhere this offseason. In a conversation with Lou Williams and Chandler Parsons on “Run It Back,” Charania said that the Warriors’ shooting guard and the Orlando Magic seem to have a mutual interest going into the next season.

"The Magic can open up an excess of sixty million dollars in cap space this off season ... One name to keep an eye on, Klay Thompson, I'm told there is mutual interest between the Magic and Klay Thompson," Charania said.

The Orlando Magic's rebound this season after two consecutive losing seasons has been a welcome sight for the NBA. This season, they were the fifth seed and the league's third-best defensive club. Despite their superior defense, the Magic lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs.

However, the young Magic team took the Cavaliers to Game 7 in the series; however, the lack of offense fell heavy on them in the decider. Even after leading by double digits by halftime, the Magic couldn’t outscore in the second half and ended up scoring only 15 points in the third quarter.

Although the Magic lost the series, with a Paolo Banchero-led young core, they have a promising future ahead.

As for Thompson, there is no saying if he will leave the Warriors, but in terms of money and his role within the Warriors' team, the probability should not be ignored.

Will Klay Thompson leave the Warriors to join Magic?

The talk about breaking the big three in Golden State has been an everyday affair among NBA analysts since last season.

This season, the picture of the Warriors appears as gloomy as it could ever look. They missed the playoffs and their poor performance this season, especially from veteran players, poses too many questions for the team moving ahead.

Amid all the talk about the Warriors’ failure, Klay Thompson has been the constant name on everyone’s tongue. Thompson becomes a free agent next season after his five-year, $190 million contract ends with the Warriors.

Moreover, in light of his latest performances, there is a high chance that Dubs’ front office might not give him the maximum contract extension.

In his last three games of the 2023–24 season, Thompson shot just 13 of 42 shots from the field. He shot 0 of 10 shots in the Play-In Tournament game against the Sacramento Kings and left the game with 0 points.

Thompson is unlikely to decline the Magic's offer if they are willing to pay him more. Moreover, Thompson is a historically terrific shooter, and because Magic requires offense, they may raise his role and give him more time on the court, unlike the Warriors. If everything with the Magic goes Thompson's way, it wouldn't be strange if he left the Warriors.