Klay or PG13? Myers reveals who helps the Warriors the most next season originally appeared in NBC Sports Bay Area
If Klay Thompson remains with the Warriors or not, next season could trigger a domino effect for the rest of Golden State’s offseason.
Several big-name players, such as Los Angeles Clippers star Paul George and Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler, have been linked to trade rumors involving the Warriors, with a source confirming to Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area that Golden State is, in fact, interested in the former.
So which player could best help the Warriors compete in the stacked Western Conference next season and possibly beyond? Former Warriors general manager turned ESPN analyst Bob Myers weighed in during Wednesday’s “First Take” episode.
“Paul George or Klay Thompson? I can argue both at this point,” Myers said. “You saw what the Clippers did with Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, Normal Powell, [Ivica] Zubac, Terâncio [Mann], that wasn’t good enough for the Clippers. It was a stacked team in many ways. So if you add Paul George to the Warriors, you’ll say, ‘OK, that’s a pretty good team.’ You almost need Klay Thompson too.
“The West, with what Oklahoma City is doing, what Minnesota is doing, what Dallas just did, I think sometimes we are missing things and trying to oversimplify. [it]. You add Paul George, you add Klay Thompson – still not enough, guys. You need to build a team to compete with what is a loaded West and even pass the West. The Eastern Conference has shown that they are by far the best team in the NBA. We talk about how big the West is. What is different about the West is the depth of the West. You could be a really good team in the West and be the ninth seed. It’s a profound conference. So just to get through all of that, you need depth.
“And Klay and PG might give him a better chance, but at the same time, I don’t think either of them solves all of any team’s problems.”
Thompson played his entire NBA career with the Warriors, and Golden State certainly knows what the sharpshooter can bring to the court.
In 77 games last season, Thompson averaged 17.9 points shooting 43.2% from the field and 38.7% from 3-point range, with 3.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 29.7 minutes.
Although his 3-ball and once-dominant two-way game has deteriorated since suffering two serious leg injuries, there is no doubt what Thompson meant to the organization who summoned him 13 years ago.
Meanwhile, George, a nine-time NBA All-Star, could seek a fresh start elsewhere if the Clippers don’t offer him the four-year maximum contract he wants, a deal the Warriors reportedly might be willing to give you, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported Wednesday. O 34 years old had an average of 22.6 points shooting 47.1 percent from the field and 41.3 percent from deep last season with Los Angeles, adding 5.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 33.8 minutes.
Both players certainly have their respective resumes, and regardless of how things are going for Golden State, the team’s former two-time NBA Executive of the Year believes it will take a lot more to climb back to the top of the Conference ladder. West.
