Paul George jumped out of the player option, which also meant that the sign-and-trade deal between the Warriors and the Clippers was aborted. To add insult to injury, the Warriors ignored Thompson because the talks with George focused on him. The latter has deleted all information about the Warriors on social media. And the two sides have not communicated for a long time, and the Warriors reporter revealed that Thompson's departure from the Warriors is inevitable, and there are still many teams interested in Thompson.
At the moment, the Magic, the Clippers, the Mavericks, and the Lakers all want to take him. Among them, the Mavericks can offer Thompson a full middle-class contract with an annual salary of 12.9 million. Although compared to the 2-year 50 million contract that the Warriors offered Thompson at the earliest, the overall will be 24.2 million less. But the problem is that even if Thompson wants to return to the Warriors, the team will not give him another 50 million contract. Wouldn't it be more face-saving to go to another team? At least some dignity can be saved.
In addition to the Mavericks, the Clippers already have 20 million in space after George's departure to sign Thompson directly. The Magic also have room to sign Thompson at any time, but the contract could also be in the early 10 million. The Lakers have two options to take Thompson, the first of which is a pay cut for James. According to Shams, James has declined to exercise his $51.42 million player option and plans to re-sign a new contract with the Lakers.
And James has personally admitted that if he can get a veteran like Thompson, he can take a pay cut for the Lakers in case the team can use the $12.9 million full mid-range exception. The Athletic's Haynes reports that James may have to take a 16 million pay cut to help the Lakers make a full mid-range. If James doesn't take a pay cut, he could sign a three-year, $162 million contract with the Lakers. This time, Lao Zhan must have made a sacrifice.
Lakers reporter Brad Turner also confirmed that the Lakers and Thompson are indeed interested in each other, but Thompson and the Mavericks are also interested in each other. If both parties are on a middle-class contract, it might depend on where Thompson wants to go. Anyway, it's all ball-handling cores, one James, one Doncic. There may be more opportunities in the Lakers, and Thompson can't play the No. 3 position in the Mavericks. The point guard is Doncic again, the point guard is Irving, and Thompson can only go to the bench. In the Lakers, Thompson can start at the No. 2 position and become the top shooter to open up space next to James.
Of course, if Thompson feels that the annual salary is not enough, he can also sign and trade. Brett Siegel said that if Thompson is willing to sign and the Warriors agree, the Lakers can offer Russell and Vanderbilt, or Russell + Vincent to the Warriors. In this way, Thompson can get a contract that he is satisfied with, and even get the 25 million annual salary that the Warriors offered before. Russell has exercised his final year's 18.69 million player option, and since no team is willing to pay a high price in the free market, he can only choose to exercise the option to return to the Lakers.
But the Lakers' response was that they would trade him later. At least for now, the Lakers have led Thompson, whether it is James cutting his salary to sign Thompson, or signing the Lakers has the initiative. Thompson definitely wants to join the Lakers, and his father has always wanted him to go to the Lakers. In addition, the relationship between Thompson and the Warriors has indeed broken down, if he joins the Lakers in the middle class, it is a strategy to retaliate against the Warriors, if the Lakers and the Warriors meet next season, and the Lakers win, then Thompson will get back face, even if they don't meet in the playoffs, as long as the Lakers go farther than the Warriors, Thompson will think that he wins.