Lakers Rumors: Andre Iguodala Hints Coach Luke Walton’s Recruitment Of Klay Thompson, Per ‘SB Nation’
After reaching a buyout agreement with Luol Deng, the Los Angeles Lakers are currently in a strong position to chase another big name in the summer of 2019. The 2019 NBA free agency will be loaded with numerous NBA superstars, and one of the Lakers’ potential targets is Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors.
There is still a plenty of time before the 2019 NBA free agency, but according to Harrison Faigen of SB Nation’s Silver Screen And Roll, the Lakers may have already started recruiting Klay Thompson. Recently, Warriors forward Andre Iguodala made a controversial statement on Twitter, saying “Luke over there recruiting like a mf.” It might only be a simple tweet, but most people believe it is directed to Lakers Head Coach Luke Walton.
Weeks before the training camp starts, Luke Walton was seen hanging out with Klay Thompson in Qatar. Despite being on different teams, Walton and Thompson maintain a good relationship. Though their recent trip to Qatar can only be seen as a normal bonding between two friends, fans can’t help themselves but speculate that Walton might be starting to recruit one of the Warriors’ Splash Brothers.
“But Thompson is an unrestricted free agent next summer, theoretically free to sign with any NBA team, BIG 3 team, or horse racing team he wants. Because of this tweet, as well as Thompson, being the son of Lakers legend Mychal Thompson — who is also the Lakers’ local radio broadcaster and the owner of one of the best Twitter accounts on the planet — there is going to be even more speculation that Klay could be the max-level free agent that L.A.’s Luol Dengbuyout officially gave them the room for,” Faigen wrote.
Klay Thompson is set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer and expected to receive interest from several NBA teams, including the Lakers. With the arrival of LeBron James in Los Angeles, the Lakers are expected to become a significant team once again in the Western Conference. However, despite having who many call the best basketball player on the planet, their roster, as currently constructed, is not in a position to beat the reigning NBA champions, Golden State Warriors, in a best-of-seven series.
Klay Thompson sports new look, muses about joining BIG3 https://t.co/cFj991k9kU pic.twitter.com/OOqDQDI3np
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) September 3, 2018
Pairing LeBron James with Klay Thompson will undeniably increase the Lakers’ chance of winning their first NBA championship title in the post-Kobe Bryant era. Thompson will tremendously boost the Lakers’ performance on both ends of the floor. In 73 games he played last season, the 28-year-old shooting guard averaged 20 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.5 assists on 48.8 percent shooting from the field and 44 percent from beyond the arc.
As of now, Klay Thompson doesn’t seem to be interested in playing for another team and frequently said that he wants to retire as a Warrior. However, lots of things can happen between now and the 2019 NBA free agency.
