OAKLAND — Klay Thompson has made countless friends during his NBA career, but one of them, Leandro Barbosa, has one wish for the longtime Warriors star as he approaches unrestricted free agency.
“He has to be happy,” Barbosa told NBC Sports Bay Area over the weekend. “That’s the most important thing.”
Barbosa and Thompson’s friendship grew during their two years together as teammates in Golden State, beginning in 2014. They spent time together in the offseason working out together and visiting theme parks on road trips. Barbosa has gone on rides on Thompson’s boat and visited his house.
Clay also calls Barbosa, who is from Brazil, “Hermano,” which means “brother” in Spanish.
In this case, that would be big brother: Barbosa, 41, currently an assistant coach with the Sacramento Kings, is nearly eight years older than Thompson, which may explain why he’s happy to offer his friend advice on some of the most important decisions of his professional career.
“He’s going to have to be really patient,” Barbosa said. “I hope he comes back to the Warriors. I don’t know what the situation is, but it’s going to be tough. I know (NBA signings) are going up and he’s thinking about money.”
“But I think he needs to be happy. I think that’s the most important thing.”
Of Golden State’s veteran core of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Thompson, Klay is by far the most unpredictable. He’s also the most free spirit. Because he’s single, he can follow his heart. Unlike Curry and Thompson, he doesn’t have to worry about wives and kids.
And certainly Barbosa is aware of the uproar that erupted last week when it was reported that Thompson unfollowed the Warriors on social media, a tactic often used by professional athletes seeking a contract and that didn’t surprise anyone in Golden State.
Curry and Thompson have established themselves as the best offensive backcourt in NBA history and are on a short list of the greatest backcourts of all time.
“At the end of the day, they’re still friends,” Barbosa said. “They’re brothers, like the Splash Brothers. We started this together and I was there. I know what it’s like.”
The Warriors are the only NBA family Thompson has known since he was drafted by Golden State in 2011. He was an integral part of the franchise’s ascension from dungeon to penthouse, and those four championships were and always will be important.
But don’t think for a second that Klay wouldn’t be interested in a new adventure: It was expected he would hit the market from the moment his contract extension negotiations concluded last summer.
If money is a priority, other teams would likely be willing to offer more than what Golden State offered.
The ever-outspoken Barbosa acknowledged a fact that was made clear by Thompson’s play last season.
“Clay’s not the same guy,” Barbosa said, “so it’s going to be a tough process for him.”
Gone are the days when Thompson was the NBA’s best two-way wing, earning All-Defensive Team selections and five straight All-Star appearances thanks to his superior shooting. He can still score 30-40 points per game, but he does so less frequently, more efficiently and with less defensive versatility.
For those reasons, Thompson knows he won’t get the kind of terms he’s looking for on an expiring five-year contract worth up to $190 million, although league sources said he wants at least a three-year deal.
“If he goes to another team, and this is just a scenario, he’ll have to start all over again,” Barbosa said. “If he stays, this is his home. This is his house.”
“So hopefully he’ll think about the business, understand what it’s all about and go from there.”
The first of Barbosa’s two seasons with the Warriors ended with a victory in the NBA Finals in 2015. In his second season, he won a league-record 73 games but suffered a shocking loss in the Finals. Barbosa played his final NBA season with the Phoenix Suns after being drafted in 2003, before returning to the NBA in 2020 as the Warriors’ “player-mentor” coach.
Coach Steve Kerr was aware of Barbosa’s relationship with Thompson and instructed LB to reunite with Klay, who is currently rehabbing from surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.
Their friendship remains, and while Thompson will make the final decision on his basketball future, he counts his brother among the people whose opinions he respects.
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