Klay Thompson has reportedly become unhappy with his secondary role or sometimes even third fiddle on a team that has many stars, ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith said.
On Tuesday’s edition of First Take, the sports personality had thos to say:
“I’m told Klay Thompson—I have not spoken to Klay Thompson, in fairness to Klay Thompson, so let me be clear about that. I’m told Klay Thompson isn’t happy,” Smith said. “His number hasn’t been called nearly enough. He’s tired of sitting around and getting quote-unquote, this is a quote, ‘the crumbs’ left behind by other people.”
The 29-year-old will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and while the Warriors will do everything they can to keep him, it may not be anything they can do if Klay wants to be more of a focal point in someone else’s offense that doesn’t have a Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, and Draymond Green.
“So if they think [Durant is] going to leave, then the priority is going to be Klay,” Smith said. “And the question for Klay is, ‘All right, I appreciate the money that you gonna give me, and the fact that it’s going to be about me and Steph [Curry], but who else you bringing in to replace Kevin Durant because that might still leave me as the third wheel.'”
Smith ended his discussion by noting this about the franchise: “They swear they won’t lose Klay Thompson.”
