Thursday 23 May 2019 05:32, UK
Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob intends to re-sign Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant when they become unrestricted free agents this summer, even though Durant's agent said the superstar is undecided.
With the Warriors in the midst of a nine-day break before the NBA Finals as they await the winner of the Toronto Raptors-Milwaukee Bucks series, Lacob answered questions about the futures of Thompson, 29, and Durant, 30, from The Athletic.
"The season is still ongoing," Lacob responded. "We are not finished. I have no new ideas or data for you. We love Klay and KD and intend to attempt to re-sign them. Period. I am confident about BOTH of them.
"But it is their choice to do what is best for them. They have earned that right. Our goal is to keep our team together. We are pretty good."
Keeping Thompson and Durant - and signing forward Draymond Green to a contract extension - are the team's top priorities as they prepare to move into Chase Center in San Francisco next season.
It still isn't a certainty Durant will move across the bay with the Warriors. His name often has been linked with the New York Knicks, as well as a number of other teams.
His agent, Rich Kleiman, told the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday night that nothing is firm and that Durant is focused on returning from a strained right calf injury and helping the Warriors to their third straight NBA title.
"I'm waiting on Kevin. That's the truth," Kleiman said. "I think there's a feeling that this thing is like war games and everybody is playing chess years out.
"But when somebody gets to the level of basketball that he's at, you can't juggle focus like that. There's so many things he's juggling too. He's not scripting his future while he's playing the way he plays and practicing the way he's practicing."
Watch Game 1 of the NBA Finals, live on Sky Sports Arena in the early hours of Friday May 31 (2am).
