Warriors' Klay Thompson Says 6th-Man Role Doesn't Change Desire to Return in NBA FA

Klay Thompson isn't going to hold the decision to move him into the sixth-man role against the Golden State Warriors when he hits free agency this offseason.

"Not really," he said when asked if it impacts his desire to return to the only NBA team he has ever known, per Sam Amick of The Athletic. "I mean, you've still got to examine all of your options, but I would love to be a Warrior for life. Whatever happens though, I've got a few more years to play this game, so I'm gonna enjoy every second."

Thompson, 34, did point out he sees the "light at the end of the tunnel, [and] I'm not sure if I want to play until I'm 40, man. That sounds really exhausting."

Amick noted the sharp-shooter previously said in 2019 that he wanted to play until he was 40, so this is something of a change of heart.

Whether he returns to Golden State or not, Thompson will go down as one of the best players in franchise history. The second half of the Splash Brothers duo alongside Stephen Curry helped bring the Warriors four championships with his outside shooting and ability to defend the opponent's best perimeter threats.

The five-time All-Star isn't quite the same defender and playmaker he was prior to significant ACL and Achilles injuries, but he will surely generate plenty of interest in free agency.

Shooting typically ages the best when it comes to NBA players, and he is still hitting 37.2 percent of his triples this season. What's more, he looked like the peak version of himself in his first game coming off the bench on Feb. 15 in a win over the Utah Jazz.

Thompson poured in 35 points behind 7-of-13 shooting from three-point range in that one and hit five three-pointers in a loss to the Denver Nuggets on Sunday.

If he can provide a scoring spark for the secondary unit as the Warriors pursue a playoff spot, they will be all the more dangerous come the postseason.

Golden State is 8-2 in the last 10 games and now just four games behind the sixth-seeded New Orleans Pelicans in the race to avoid the play-in tournament. While reaching that spot would also require jumping the Sacramento Kings, Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers, the Warriors are playing some of their best basketball of the season and seem to be rounding into form.

Another deep playoff run would only help Thompson's case for a significant new contract when he hits free agency.