Klay Thompson smiles as he goes to help Leandro Barbosa off the ground. (Photo : Getty Images/Ezra Shaw)
More NBA trade rumors surface and it has started to include players who may have been untouchable.
Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warrriors place should be secure enough. It should be recalled that the Warriors, even amid criticism stood firm on keeping Thompson even if the hottest trade commodity at that time (Kevin Love) was already being offered.
Love was being chased by numerous teams including the Boston Celtics but the Minnesota Timberwolves chose Golden State with Klay Thompson as the main piece. The Warriors brass were split on whether to take the offer but eventually decided to keep Klay and the rest is history.
Did Klay's place in the Warriors hierarchy change with the arrival of Kevin Durant? Definitely, but would it result in an actual trade? Some reports claim that being the case.
The source was Centrio Times in a piece by Mark Vonn claiming that the Denver Nuggets, also a Love suitor in 2014, was trading for Thompson sending back Danilo Gallinari and Will Barton in exchange.
"A report has the Denver Nuggets interested on acquiring Klay Thompson in exchange for Danilo Gallinari and Will Barton. The Golden State have a powerhouse starting lineup, but the team's bench may still need some improvement," Vonn wrote.
It should be noted that Vonn did not mention where the "report" came from or provided a link to his sources.
The Nuggets have been linked to almost every superstar on the block because of their trade assets but will Golden State even consider this? There were talks about Thompson's role being reduced-his playing time and specifically, the allotted shots will take a hit.
This was confirmed by Sam Amick of USA Today who stated that "if anyone has more to lose individually by Durant's arrival, it's the guy who once scored 37 points in a quarter and whose 41-point barrage in Game 6 of the latest Western Conference Finals against Durant's Oklahoma City Thunder was one of the best playoff performances of all time."
Despite his elevated status, Thompson does not strike out as someone who would complain about a diminished role especially since there is a huge addition to his team. This trade rumor seems flimsy at best, even if the Nuggets would be "interested" in Klay. Still, it's a rumor that actually circulated.
