Warriors Owner Joe Lacob Wants Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson with GS 'Forever'
Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob said Friday he wants to keep the Splash Brothers, Dubs superstar guards Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, with the organization for their entire NBA careers.
Lacob spoke with Nick Friedell of ESPN.com shortly after the Warriors punched their ticket to the Western Conference Finals with a 118-113 Game 6 win to eliminate the Houston Rockets.
"Obviously, my intention is to keep them as part of our organization forever," he said. "That's our goal. We'll see what happens."
Curry overcame first-half struggles to post a team-high 33 points in 34 minutes as the Warriors outscored the Rockets 36-26 in the fourth quarter to advance.
Thompson added 27 points on the strength of seven three-pointers, including a late three to essentially clinch the victory with just over 30 seconds left. He turned to Lacob after delivering the dagger and pointed at him, a moment some interpreted as a message about his contract.
"Nah," Thompson said. "It was just living in the moment. That's all it was."
The 29-year-old Los Angeles native can become an unrestricted free agent in the offseason as his four-year, $69 million contract comes to an end.
Thompson recently shot down speculation from ESPN's Stephen A. Smith that he had grown unhappy with his third-wheel role behind Curry and Kevin Durant, who missed Game 6 with a calf injury.
"That's not true," he told Mark Medina of the Bay Area News Group. "Have I ever indicated I was unhappy?"
After Game 6, Lacob told Friedell he'll always have a unique connection to the Washington State product, the team's first-round pick in the 2011 NBA draft:
"I have a special bond with him. I always have. He's the first player, since I bought the team, that we drafted. The very first one. And I just have always felt an incredible attachment. People make fun of me a little bit—I always say I love Klay. I love Klay. I just do. He's so real. He's so real. There's no BS. And there's something about him, I have a very special relationship with him."
Durant's future is uncertain, as he could hit the open market as the summer's most coveted free agent. There are even unconfirmed rumors a deal with the New York Knicks is a virtual done deal.
It would come as a much bigger surprise if Thompson leaves Golden State in the offseason. Curry, meanwhile, is under contract through the 2021-22 season.
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