NBA Countdown | Stephen A. wants Klay Thompson on the Knicks next season if he's not treated well.

the game is on and from our NBA studios here in Los Angeles we are preparing for an Eastern Conference clash between the Heat and the 76ers, a date with the New York Nick Stephen A is on the line and then the Hawks and The fight unites the Bulls, they are our nightcap tonight Stephen A Smith Adrien wowski Michael wilbon and Bob Myers, who may want to look away during the first part of our show today as we review the opening tip of this night brought to you by skims because for Only the third time under Steve Kerr the Warriors will miss the post

season

after being eliminated by the Sacramento Kings in a blowout loss here and I mentioned it's the third time under Steve KR but it's actually the first time that this happens with Steph Clay. and Draymond Green, all finishing the year healthy, so now we move into what will be one of the Warriors' biggest off

season

s in recent memory with so many questions floating around and none bigger than Klay Thompson, who had 10-plus in that performance as a player and is Headed toward free agency, he spoke just moments ago.

We've been through the highest highs and the highest lows, whether it's losing a championship, winning a championship, missing the Playoffs, we've been through everything together, it makes me grateful to have the moments that I've had. with them like they've done some pretty historic things, you're not necessarily ready to think about the future right now, but how quickly do you think you're going to have to pivot and figure that out and what conversations do you feel like you're having? I need to get it right considering it's April 7th and the 17th. I don't think I have to pivot that quickly.

When is free agency on July 1? Yeah, I've got some time, he's got some time, he's got some time, but let's break it up. all down now because Bob Myers a year ago you were participating in those exit interviews and now you're sitting here with us, so if you were still in that job, what would you do? How would you continue with Golden State? Wow, okay, I'm gone. that job is not answering those types of questions I'm here with you this is this is not that job uh look I'll say this um big bow to Klay Thompson, yeah, and Steph Curry and Draymond Green and um, I don't know. people know it or believe it, but the competitiveness within those three you don't do what they've done for the amount of time they've done it without being special on the inside, obviously we see what they do in terms of shooting Stephen Clay, what Draymond does. defensively, but who they are as people makes them weird, so it's hard for me to see Clay almost even heading into free agency.

I don't think he even knew the free agency date. W knows that most players go through free agency four. five six times I didn't even know the day it was right what that tells me is that he

wants

to be there you heard Steve Curry last night you heard Steph Curry Draymond Green everyone

wants

him there but what do you think is going to happen? Even Malika's money, of course, that's it, yes, that sounds simple, but that's what it will come down to. Clay will stay if he feels like he's been appreciated and paid what's appropriate, um, but if not It's like that, that's the question, it's always kind of a pride component because it's not money, people will say,

well

, Klay Thompson made all this money

well

, but you know, there's a pride component for any professional athlete, so which is not just money, you don't need more money for the rest of your life.

In life, that's not the point, however, if someone comes along and doubles the Warriors' offer, things could change, um, but what do the Warriors do? It's not just about Klay Thompson, that's the toughest question we're talking about, Klay Thompson, but there are other things to answer. because you bring this team back and Klay Thompson comes back and this is not the end of what we saw, it was a healthy team that is acceptable for Joe on that roster, so maybe Stephen A you want to be sure, yeah, I'm happy to do it. Go ahead, before I say anything else, I'm tired of people really having to be so careful with Klay Thompson, he's one of the best shooters we've ever seen, he's a championship candidate, he's a member of the Hall of Fame of the first vote of the region and in the last 12.

In this year's games, the man averaged 21.8 points, 49% in field goals, 41% in three-point shots despite the inconsistency that we have all narrated throughout Throughout this season, do you know that Klay Thompson and end up being one of the top four? Three point shooters in the game, there are a ton of teams that would want him, he still has tremendous value, we know he's great, but the organization doesn't owe him anything because last time I checked he doesn't play for free, none of them at all they get paid, okay, so you get paid when you get paid to lose, you get paid to do a job, when that's what he did, he did his job, he should be revered, he should be respected, but if you're the Golden State Warriors, you have to ask yourself.

Couple of questions: Can I get rid of Kom half the time, Andrew Wiggins? Am I willing to give up one of those young pieces along with him to have someone take them off my hands so I can keep Klay Thompson paired with Steph Curry and Draymond? Green and we can move forward because we had a better year this year than last year, and if Draymond Green hadn't been suspended for those 20 games, they probably wouldn't even be in a tournament, they would have been in the first round. Enough, if I can't do that, then what is my recourse?

Because he is approaching free agency. You can talk about signing a trade. Can I get on that? Tell me how accurate I am about man having tremendous value. I just don't know if. It's for Golden State as it's currently built, that's the problem: You make that business decision from you, Joe Lake, on the team and I don't think they should have a problem doing what they need to do. I think the big question for Golden State. be and Stephen A alluded to it are they how much of their young core Brandon Pim psky Trace Jackson Davis two standout rookies this year who really got it right with Mike dun leevy Jr and their first draft how much are they willing to sacrifice maybe come to a deal their future This timeline around Steph Curry will continue because this is an organization that feels such a responsibility that if Steph Curry wants to continue there, which he does and continues to play at every level of the NBA, they will try. to find a way to compete, it's going to look a lot different in the spring and summer with who's available for trades than at the trade deadline, there really weren't any significant impact players, I think it's going to be different this offseason, I think. a lot of guys are going to be available, they're going to have to make some tough decisions, and you're right, but the problem is if you do that and we don't know who's available, sometimes you do. right now you know who's available I don't know if you even know who's available right now sometimes we know now we know this guy is going to ask out that guy is going to ask out and they're all good the problem is you make a move like You have to believe that it puts you in contention.

I don't know if there's a player right now that could be available that will get you to a point where we'll be a top-three seed in the west. only you're talking about needle and thread and you the Warriors don't operate in a vacuum Oklahoma City isn't going anywhere Denver certainly isn't going anywhere for a while Houston is on its way Minnesota the West is so good that even if Bobby is right , even if they find that player and they find out who he is and they can sign Klay Thompson and they can find out if Draymond Green is going to be an asset or do something for 20 games that will cost them even if they can figure all that out.

You still have these other teams that are really good and positioned, so wow, I'm seeing how this goes. Golden State has to have a second great player, is that player or at least the Allstar player is the second player on the list and that is the question they will have to answer with a name that we did not even mention like Chris Paul and obviously his salary with you also mentioned the rest of the West, although it is improving. Better not be waiting for Golden State just in the other Western game that played last night, the Lakers advanced as the seventh seed after defeating the Pelicans behind 23 points from LeBron James, 20 and 15 from Anthony Davis, the Lakers will face the Nuggets below.

While the Pelicans play the Kings on Friday, but the Pelicans will be without Zion Williamson, who left the game late. He suffered what appeared to be a lower leg injury. How serious is this for Zion W? Bad enough that we've probably seen him the last time this season he was out Friday against Sacramento and he's essentially out of at least one first-round series, so even if New Orleans wins and they have to go play Oklahoma City, it's hard to imagine them winning that Series without Zion Williamson. his best game of his career given the circumstances, what is at stake is 40 points, the Lakers had no answer for him, there were three minutes left in the game, he asked to leave and now today's MRI showed that strain in the tendon of the hamstring and we have probably seen the last of him.

It's a shame, he really played a great game, yeah, um, yesterday, and what happens is you make a big deal out of it because when we saw him at the season-ending tournament in Las Vegas, when we saw him. Sunday night, in the regular season finale, it looked like a day in the headlights and he looked literally scared out there and I thought this doesn't make any sense and then he came out yesterday like a man-child and told me to give it a try. the damn ball and he wanted it and he wanted it desperately and he showed what he's made of and then he gets injured, so really what's the problem now, in the second half of this season, this man has shown that he can dedicate himself to being in a position to play. get in shape and this still happens. you have to find a way if I'm an NBA player with injuries, the first person I go to is LeBron James, how the hell do you maintain the level of durability that you have?

I've maintained throughout the whole process who your coach is what your workout regimen is where you eat where you drink when you eat when you need to drink I'm trying to duplicate everything I can just to find a way to get my foot on the court because we can't keep praising and bragging about a 39 year old man in his 21st season and how Herculean he looks and never trying to emulate what keeps him in top condition, let me tell you the good news, the bad news, that's horrible, what, what. you just said what you just said, because what we saw last night was the best player on the court for many stretches, maybe the entire game, maybe they win if he plays, but maybe this is what Zion needed, he needed one that we needed.

Watching him do it, anyone who watched that game could see that he could be the best player against him of all time, great, but now Zion is watching the playoffs, maybe watching his team. Maybe not, maybe that will motivate him to come

next

season and say this is not going to happen. happen again, here's the problem Stephen A LeBron LeBron will tell the guys what he does, they just won't do it right, I mean, and I mean, you know, a lot of players say I want to be in great shape, you have to do this , this this. and this well I can't do that I'm not going to do all that that's that's hard I can't do all that I can just show up and make 30 40 million and alone and that's an excuse that doesn't work but that's a big part of the NBA, It's a shame that we're not going to see that we're not going to see Zion advance something this year because after that he just whetted our appetite a little bit, this is what he can do, this is why he was selected one overall and the people thought that he, you know, the league misses Zion and the jaw is no small thing, now we have a postseason where we're going to have, you know, that we're not going to have them, it's got me excited about the

next

one. season, yes, absolutely, I think Adrian Woski, yesterday you correctly called the most important game of Zion Williamson's career.

He responded completely to that call until those last three minutes and you could see the frustration on his face when he had to leave talking about Joel Embiid. In warm-ups today he is holding on to that knee, which is not necessarily worrying, that is just playing presumption, right? He knows what he is doing, taking out the we didn't see it, he comes to the studio exactly, no we saw him in the last game of the regular season but we hope to see him tonight there he is back shooting again we will be right back fore fore spee spee Happ I want B C foree spee now you're here fore let's go fore fore spee spee spe for e not spe e e for for to