Klay Thompson To Lakers? Warriors Star Jokes Luke Walton Tried Recruiting Him

Golden State Warriors star Klay Thompson joked that Los Angeles Lakers head coach Luke Walton tried recruiting him over the offseason.

Thompson was with Walton as well as Carmelo Anthony and Tracy McGrady in Qatar earlier this month, which led to Warriors teammate Andre Iguodala jokingly speculating on Twitter that he was being recruited to Los Angeles.

Speaking on "Warriors Live" this week, Thompson referenced Iguodala's tweet when asked about his trip to Qatar, stating that Walton "tried" to recruit him.

While that certainly would not have been the case, especially with the Lakers having a history of player tampering, the 16-time champions are very much interested in Thompson, according to reports.

The All-Star is set to become a free agent next year and while he has outlined his plans of remaining a Warrior for life, anything is possible. For one, Thompson may have to take a discounted deal, especially if Kevin Durant remains in the Bay Area, with many already believing he's underpaid.

There's also the fact that his father Mychal is a former championship-winning Laker who wants his son to move to Los Angeles and team up with LeBron James.

"If Klay came to L.A., which he should, then he knows he is going to slot in behind LeBron," Mychal recently said. "But it is fine because he has done it before [for the Warriors], it is not a big deal."

Reports also state that if given a choice between Kawhi Leonard or Thompson in free agency next year, the Lakers would prefer the latter and a potential move to the Staples Center has been regularly debated in recent weeks by analysts and commentators.

And of course, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is also uncertain about what will happen come the end of the season as he repeatedly hinted on media day that his core group of players may be playing their last season together.

"A lot could change. We don’t know," Kerr said. "Obviously we want to keep this thing going. At some point, you just have to enjoy the moment and enjoy the now. There’s going to be so much speculation on what’s ahead. Nobody knows what’s ahead."

On the other hand, Thompson could also stay. In reality, it does not make sense for him to leave a team capable of winning a fourth championship in five years and potentially even more after next season.

In addition, the 28-year-old is also eligible for a supermax deal after next season, provided he gets into another All-NBA team and once again, spoke of his desire to stay in San Francisco during media day.

"When guys go into free agency they’re searching for a situation like mine or similar to our team. I’m perfectly content here," Thompson said. "Just look around the walls at all the art and to see I was a part of this buildup is what keeps me motivated and keeps me wanting to be a Warrior for my whole career."