Report: Klay will join Team Bahamas for training camp

Report: Klay will join Team Bahamas for training camp originally appeared in NBC Sports Bay Area

As NBA free agency approaches, Klay Thompson is preparing for a potential Olympic run.

Thompson will head to Houston this week for training camp with the Bahamas national team, Athletic’s Shams Charania and Anthony Slater reported Monday, citing sources. Thompson’s father, Mychal, was born in the Bahamas and the youngest Thompson had already said who would love to represent the country on the international stage.

Thompson won the gold medal with Team USA at the 2016 Rio Olympics, but was not selected to represent the United States at the upcoming Paris Olympics.

Given the hurdles Thompson would need to overcome to represent the Bahamas, it is unlikely he will gain approval in time for the July 2 Olympic qualifying tournament.

He would need to obtain an official release from USA Basketball as well as FIBA ​​approval to change nationality in addition to having Bahamian citizenship. Although Bahamians have Jus sanguinis citizenship, it is unclear whether Thompson has completed all necessary steps to obtain a national passport.

With NBA free agency just weeks away, the longtime Warriors guard is reportedly weighing all the options available to him. It is still uncertain at this time whether Golden State and Thompson could reach an agreement on a new contract, although the Warriors have signaled their intention to keep the core of Thompson, Draymond Green and Steph Curry together.

Olympic lineups would need to be determined well before the start of the Paris games on July 26, so it would be a long shot for Thompson to wear Bahamian gold and aquamarine even if the team qualified.

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