Gilbert Arenas believes Klay Thompson‘s skillset is more valuable to the Golden State Warriors than Draymond Green‘s. Both All-Star veterans are elite for their respective positions and are among the most impactful players in the NBA. However, if push comes to shove, Arenas would rather keep Thompson. The former All-Star guard’s comments came via a recent “Gil’s Arena” Podcast episode.
The reason for the discussion was simple: Green has recently signed a four-year contract extension, while Thompson is still no closer to extending his tenure with the Warriors. However, Thompson will not become an unrestricted free agent until the summer of 2024. The Warriors also waited until Green’s contract had expired before finalizing his extension.
“It’s just what he brings,” Arenas said. “As long as he’s on court, it’s hard to double Steph…So when you’re talking about making a comeback or shooting that big shot, he’s the only one who has no thought process of what’s going on, so you know when they’re down, he’s the most dangerous person on the court because he’s going to take shots like it’s practice.”
Thompon had a solid bounce-back season in his first full year since returning from two significant injuries. However, Steve Kerr has a new role in mind for his veteran wing in the upcoming season. If Thompson can perform at a high level on both sides of the floor, there should be no reason for the Warriors to let him walk next summer.
You can watch the full discussion in the embedded clip above.
