FIRST TAKE | “This is beginning of the END!” – Stephen A. reacts to Klay Thompson unfollows Warriors

FIRST TAKE | “This is beginning of the END!” – Stephen A. reacts to Klay Thompson unfollows Warriors

to the NBA Klay Thompson’s numbers down nearly across the board last season prompting Steve cerr to bring him off the bench for the first time since his rookie year with Clay’s future in question with the team he suspiciously unfollowed the warriors on social media and we have people here that notice things like that but Draymond Green doesn’t seem concerned about his teammates online activity I think it’s hilarious just so y’all know I laugh when Jack I logged on here and Jackson is like yo so what about clay I’m like what like what happened it’s like oh he unfollowed the Warriors I think that’s comical um I know you all be W like somebody feelings to be heard or something it ain’t that ain’t never going to be that that’s hilarious okay sometimes I feel embarrassed that I have to report certain things but here’s where we are and I could say this Wendy with Instagram you could always mute someone right so if you don’t want to see their feed you don’t want to but you clearly want to make it public when you unfollow them so do you think this is something or nothing okay it is something because it’s a contract negotiation yes it doesn’t mean that he is no no longer wants to be with the Warriors doesn’t mean that he’ll never resign with them it just means that we are now at the serious stage now here’s here’s what I want to tell everybody this rule is brand new I’m still learning this Rule and comprehending it once the finals ends which could be tonight teams are allowed to negotiate and come to terms with their own free agents so one of the things we always saw in the past real quick July 1st would hit and all of a sudden all these contracts will get done like how’ they get done in five minutes because this was going on now they can get negotiated and done so I would expect if the finals end tonight in the next two or three days we’re going to see a bunch of people come to contract terms Pascal sakam I don’t think he’s going anywhere I think he’s staying in in uh with the Pacers Tyrese Maxi I don’t think he’s going anywhere he’ll come to terms with the 76ers there’s a couple other obvious deals but there’s a there’s a couple that we’re going to watch Klay Thompson will be in that spot if he doesn’t come to terms with the warriors with the with the exclusive negotiating here it could mean that that he wants to look at someplace else and that’s what this is It’s and I want to say this it’s not just about the actual dollars it’s also about the respect that clay wants to be paid now he we just saw those numbers 18 points a game 39% from three-point range that’s a valuable player that player is a $20 million player in today’s NBA under certain circumstances maybe even more but the thing with Clay won’t just necessarily be the money it will also be the years how many years would you be willing to give and the role they’ve got young players who play his position Brandon psky Moses Moody Klay got benched at the end of some games last year what’s his role going to be all of those things come into play and what role is he comfortable playing right now in his career absolutely absolutely so what I would say is just cuz he did did this doesn’t mean that he’s leaving but it does mean that we’re on brass taxs and it’s going to get a little bit Rocky I think I just feel like this has been brewing for a while now um I always go back to this point uh watching the guys on countdown there’s a reason why Bob Myers is sitting next to Stephen A and Mike wbond U I think Bob Myers is super smart I think he sees things uh before they actually happen and uh I I I always feel for my former teammate and Mike dley now the general manager about some of these decisions that he is faced with I.E Draymond Green uh Klay Thompson how do you build around Steph Curry considering he’s still playing at a elite elite elite level are you surrounding him with enough youthful talent in order to help him get there I love Klay Thompson I think Klay Thompson will get the money he wants but just not from Golden State uh you talk about respect I think that’s a predicament that the Golden State Warriors are in out of respect are you willing to give him the money or the time timeline that he feels like he deserves at 34 years old coming off the knee injury coming off the Achilles injury I give clay all the credit in the world for coming back to the level like Wendy said averaging 18 points on 39% shooting like from from the three-point line I think that’s incredible it’s going to come down to what the value is that clay has for himself when you have teams out there like Orlando teams like others that I think will be willing to throw him the money in the years and the opportunity that I don’t I’m not sure Golden State will acques I I think the we’re at that that um that crossroads right now between the Golden State Warriors and Klay Thompson and I do not believe that Klay Thompson will be a Golden State Warrior next year I do not I agree with you um I’m there Wendy I agree with Jay on that um but we we you know we gonna be fair to everybody here let’s be fair to Klay Thompson first Klay Thompson is the future Hall of Fame four time NBA champion he’s one of the greatest Shooters the game has ever seen yes and his definition of a Down year 39% shooting from three-point range uh 90 plus per of the league would pray to be able to do that this man spent nine of his first 10 years in the NBA shooting better than 40% from 3point range so understand that the price of greatness is what we’re witnessing right now because when you’re that great of a shooter as he was the slightest dissipation is noticeable because you simply AR aren’t what you used to be even though you’re still better than most instead of people embracing the concept that you’re better than most instead they’re saying you’re not what you used to be so that’s the frustration that clay has dealt with let’s not also forget that even though Golden State paid him when he was injured if you recall years ago we cost him a super max deal not me because I voted for him but Kimble Walker got third Team all NBA and he was kept off of the third of the all NBA team that cost Klay Thompson over $30 million I don’t blame Klay Thompson he never spoke to the media again after that they cost him $30 million they C the media cost him $3 million because they didn’t vote him onto an all NBA team so we got to remember that now we got to also be fair when we’re looking at him now 34 years of age came off the bench for the first time in his career averaged 19.8 points on 42.8% shooting on three-pointers in his 14 games as a reserve let’s not forget that also ranked second on the team in points per game after the allstar shooting 45% from the field 41.2% on three-pointers so his numbers while it’s under 40 it wasn’t under 40 the second half of the season after Allstar break so let’s remember that these are all arguments that favor Klay Thompson here’s the problem the way he and Steph used to flow off of one another with a met a measure of unparalleled consistency was not what occurred last year it was up one game down another up one game down another and if you’re the Golden State Warriors and you’re Joe Lake up and you’re in pursuit of championships because you got a superstar on Steph Curry who still looks like a superstar and you want to maximize everything that he brings to the table you’re looking at a kaminga and how he’s elevated you’re looking at a moody who we’ve been waiting to give that shine too but jimsky comes in as a rookie highly intelligent player really smart really Savvy real productive are you going to ca them minutes the answer is yes you’re going to cost them minutes so if I’m Klay Thompson and he’s watching I’m thinking think about New York because you need a shoot I’m thinking about Philly because you got embiid and Maxi and imagine what you would do there those are two teams that really really really come to my mind there could be others but definitely those you think New York or Philly would want him well I think New York should make no mistake about it I think Philly should want him if embiid is healthy if embiid is not healthy and it’s him and Maxi that’s a different argument but the New York Knicks with the way they play defense and with the way that Tom thoto coaches them I think to have a sniper a sharpshooter out there that can shoot like that oh you got I mean that’s a huge huge plus but this is the other point that I wanted to make about Golden State because I’m going to come to Joe lob’s defense here I’m looking at these numbers guys him and his ownership group have spent 677 million in penalties and have been in the tax four out of the past six seasons the man has spent the money he’s made the investment and it’s been in those players so let me be very clear to everybody out there the Golden State Warriors ownership doesn’t owe clay or anybody else anything you appreciate what they’ve done but they didn’t play for free and the two years basically that clay was out they paid them those years too and so we have to remember that and understand that moving forward I hope it works out but I don’t see it because Klay Thompson is worth more than two years and $60 million Klay Thompson is worth at least double that triple that as far as I’m concerned but it’s got to be under the right situation and the roster as presently constructed is no longer the ideal situation for Klay Thompson two questions before we go to break is he still a starter yeah

FIRST TAKE | “This is beginning of the END!” – Stephen A. reacts to Klay Thompson unfollows Warriors